CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

biomed_eng_2000 · Joined: 31 Mar 2009 Posts: 4

Who do you recommend in the Anaheim / Orange County area to setup a CRT projector?

I don't have one yet and I do want to get one but I am hesitant if there is not a pro in the area just in case I need help.

Thanks!!

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

if your worried about complexity then avoid the Sony's and NEC's and look for a Marquee or Barco. The latter are much simpler, common sense set-up with guided on screen menus you can follow. Easier than trying to read a 100 page manual and flip pages in the dark. It is also very unusual for someone to get "stuck setting up". It's a lot more likely for people to have electronic problems with an e-bay bargain that turns out to be a fixer upper. If you can afford it buy a refurbished machine.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

hmmm, I heard the G90 is actaully easier to set-up than G70, never tried one. Of course then you have the dooms-day chip to deal with Mr. Green

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:38 pm Post subject:

Hmm... Not sure what you're talking about Dragan... I've only set up my G70 from scratch 3 or 4 times. I'm far from a CRT guru, but I got myself an awesome picture on that 3rd or 4th setup, and it probably only took me an hour or so the last time from starting to focus to final point and signal geometry setup.

Quite honestly, I didn't find the G70 that much more difficult than setting up the 12xx, save for the inherent additional complexity that goes along with having EM focus and Scheimpflug, as well as a couple of extra geometry controls (more point, pin/pin bal, and key/key bal).

I don't remember skipping around the setup manual at all, either - It was very linear from my recollection, and in my opinion one of the better technical manuals I've ever read for a piece of equipment as complex as a CRT projector.

As for the memory management, I have one of the early-firmware machines that doesn't have some of the memory management features of the later machines, so it functions more like a 12xx in that regard... And yet I've had no trouble at all getting multiple sources set up.

From hanging around in the forums for years, the NEC's are the only machines I've heard people make comments about being a little more technically challenging than the others. This is the first time I've ever heard harsh criticism of the the G70 setup procedure or the manuals themselves.

Question

SC

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I've had an NEC XG, a Dwin HD700, a Sony G70, and a Marquee 8500.

The NEC is the toughest to get perfectly set up and most finicky for perfect mechanical setup. It's also the one that's most likely to be totally hosed because some idiot diddled with The Pots You Do Not Touch. If set up correctly, it can produce a fabulous picture. Colors are great due to the color-filtered HD144/145 lenses, but those can be retrofit onto other models. (E.g. my Dwin and Marquee had HD145's.)

The Dwin was pretty basic, not too tough to set up, small and quiet, but it was an ES machine so not nearly as sharp as the others. It really couldn't handle HD resolution.

The G70 has great controls over convergence &etc and *can* be extremely sharp. The machine itself is beautiful but some of the controls are confusing. The memory model IMHO is utterly braindead and borderline unusable.

The Marquee is almost too simple. I wish it had a bit more sophistication in its convergence controls but you can get a good result without too much effort. The memory model is a little weird but simple enough. The hardware (case, etc) is ugly compared to the G70 but the Marquee electronics are the most bombproof of any of the projectors I've had. Only caveat with Marquee hardware is that there are a number of "Service Bulletin" after-market fixes to resolve various issues, from minor (one inappropriately lit-up dot at the top of the screen, or an extremely faint line that's only visible on blackouts) to major (LVPS runs over-voltage and fries your tubes). You need to do a certain number of hardware fixes to address these issues. If you buy from a reseller like Curt, Tim, or Dragan, those fixes are taken care of. If you buy off ebay, be prepared to open it up and do some soldering yourself.

Vibe · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 164 Location: SoCal

I am in OC and would be glad to help. I sent you a PM earlier with my contact info.