CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

armstrr · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 160

Ok, so I have been away for a while, but recently popped in to check "the state of things" in CRT land

I started out with an 8500 from dragon 8 or 9 years ago. Sold the house and pj to a friend who still uses it

Current setup is a 9500lc. I got it around 4 years ago. It
Has some version of Parker mod, has color
C elements and i believe a first gen moome hdmi card A friend and I changed the glycol and replaced the bellows. It has hung faithfully for 4 years, with one hiccup involving the hvps. Replaced it and no real problems since

Recently the lumagen hdp's hdmi inputs
Quit working, so I have it hobbled up to use component inputs, but if I
Stay with the 9500 the lumagen will likely need to replace

The projector itself has started to need to be
Touched up a bit. The convergence is off noticeably until the pj is well warmed up. This may have something to do with using
The component inputs... Not sure. Maybe with the scaler
Replaced All will be well. Or perhaps sending the boards to dragan to replaces
Some aging parts will help. I do see some slight banding that scrolls vertically down the screen every minute or so... Again, this is likely aging components, right?

Note: we use the theater room virtually everyday... 1-1.5 hours

So I'm at a bit if a crossroad. Do I sink $500 into pj, and 2-400 into another lumagen hdp and then spend
The time to set it up again? Or do I make a clean break as I have read many of the "old guard" are (or have) and go to the "grey side"?

3d is not a deal breaker for me, but if i am spending some money anywy, perhaps opting for the radiance over an hdp is worthwhile since I can use it with either way I go ? I'm confused as
To whether any or all of the lumagen radiance vp can do
3d on a CRT... Or if it can, does the 9500 do it well? (there is a + model?) xd,xe,xs? I don't
See many posts with people doing 3d with crts. And then an additional accessory box is required, correct?

So at 8-900$, I am 1/2-1/3 the price of a half decent digital... Can anyone clear up some of my confusion so I can make an informed decision? I guess I would like to be talked down off the ledge, but I do need to be smart about this as with many... There is less time in the day to tinker than there used to be.

Thx!
_________________
Electeohome marquee 9500lc, lumagen hdp, 9' da lite higIh power screen denon 2809ci paradigm speakers home made dual stacked subs

armstrr · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 160

Double post! Damn iPhone! Sorry.

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

Keep the 9500LC for a a few more years.

After switching to the component input you would have to redo convergence and make sure the memory was unlocked for it before you do it so then it would be saved. The lock the memory again to preserve the changes.

Changing the CVA( convergence board caps and switching the resistors to a larger physical size will help keep the convergence stabilized quicker from cold to hot.

Also look for a used radiance if possible. it will come in handy later when you go Digital anyhow so it will not be money wasted.

I do not think digital at the price range you want are ready yet.

Unless you want to get a 65k Sim2 Theatro 80 Wink

Athanasios

stridsvognen · Guest

Athanasios is right i think.

I just got a 9500LC coming from a 7000-8000$ JVC, and i'm blown of my feet with this, even i'm not yet finished changing dirty glycol and putting my red C element.

ill say depending on how picky you are, can you live with some digital out of the box with no calibration, and trow in a new lamp when its used up, its plug and play, but if you desire realism black and true colors, and you know how to calibrate and set up your CRT, i think its quite far out in the future before you find any digital machine that will please you.

My own father is the most happy man with his new samsung 42" led tv who must be around 10000-12000K and artifacts frying around the screen all the time.
Ill never be pleased with anything less than the best i can get. And i push it and test it to the limit. Its all about how you prioritize your time and if you like playing with it.

Projectors and hifi is my hobby, i love it so its easy for me to say, and i fully understand why many will just settle with a small easy digital projector.

I'm just waiting for more cheep 9500 projectors on the marked, so i can stack them up for future parts.. So please sell it.. Wink

HaydnG90 · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 1356

Tim in Phoenix · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 4409 Location: Phoenix

CIR Engineering · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:30 pm Post subject:

All of the Radiance processors can support 3D. If you buy a new Radiance processor it will come with 3D at no additional charge. If you buy a used Radiance without 3D you can order a 3D upgrade for it (call or email me). The 3D upgrade is $499.

All of the Radiance processors need an optional 3D output that connects to a 3D transmitter. The XD, XS, and XE all use an HDMI dongle that goes inline with either of the HDMI outputs. The HDMI dongle MSRP is $399. The Mini can be ordered with a 3D output on board. The on board 3D for the Mini is $199.

I would keep the Marquee if I were you.

craigr

armstrr · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Posts: 160

CIR Engineering · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:49 pm Post subject:

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

I guess this is really going to depend on your budget. Is 3D that important? If it is, then to stick with CRT looks like it is going to cost you at least $1500 or more. I would say go digital in that case.

If 3D isn't that important, then I would say stick with CRT. If the tubes are good and you dont want to DIY, then send the boards to Drags. Maybe you can get the Lumagen repaired. If not, then you are still at a good price.

Most digitals today look pretty good, but the cheap digitals still are lacking. To me, the JVCs are the best, least expensive digital that you can buy now. You are still going to be set back $2k though.

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

I'm going to obviously have a very biased opinion, even though I don't run 3D I love CRT and watch a movie every weekend. I have to admit though, dropping $3K on a new Moome card + all the Lumagen stuff for 3D is a tough pill to swallow.
I will say that you should not expect this though with any new digital. AAMOF, they have notoriously poor life-spans in situations where they are used every day as a TV.

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

This was my point last year...I did a rant that aftermarket stuff for CRT is outrageously overpriced and often times more than the cost of the CRT itself. Now there are some exceptions. But some are not worth it. Even Curt said he was offended. But the expense of adding some devices are not what I have in mind when I think of the age of the technology. We need to do things to encourage CRT. Otherwise you get people that come here and see old school CRT?...BUY WHAT?!?! ADD THIS....ADD THAT.....f*ck THAT!!! Curt has done a fine job. But his stuff was written when 2007?! We didn't even have iphones or ipads then. I see a lot of breaking apart. And from what I have seen, its the haves and the havenot's that are really separating. If you have a Good CRT in good condition, most guys are keeping those. Re-tubing? I don't know! But if you do not have a higher end unit or that it does not do 1080p and it is getting old, the user is most likely going digital. I could be wrong on a lot of this....just my opinion. Mr. Green

tanwn · Joined: 26 Dec 2006 Posts: 104

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

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 921

"Only thing I can think of as rare is a Red C-element, and the 9500 didn't come with that part from the factory."

let me know when you have one!!!!!

mc86 · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:58 pm Post subject:

I kinda' get the impression you (the OP) want to go digital but are simply hesitant...Perhaps now is the right time to go see some digitals in action, price them, and decide based on what folks on here think. Maybe you'd decide the price-performance curve justifies the time, money, effort on the CRT...maybe not. Hard for us to know your personal desires and the tradeoffs you might make.

HaydnG90 · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 1356

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

jeffslife · Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Posts: 4190 Location: ohio usa

OK so what about the Blue C element on the G90 ?

mc86 · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 8:40 am Post subject:

As there is an exception to every rule, I'm sure to be corrected, but I do not think any CRT color-filtered the blue tube. The blue phosphors apparently have a good-enough emission spectra as-is.

Note: I do recall reading (all about lenses?) that early lenses were color-corrected for each color tube in a unique way...so while the lenses all looked clear to the eye, they had to be matched nonetheless. Later, the multi-layer technology came and made the lenses swappable between colors. Point being, don't confuse that early individual color-correcting with color-filtering (tinting) any of the lens, C-element, or coupling fluid (on AC machines).

Matt