CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Audiophile · Joined: 23 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Manassas, VA

Hi there, so given the choice between a low hour 1292Q projector or a new JVC DLA-RS40 projector which would you choose? I want a 1080 image that is super sharp. While my 1272Q makes some beautiful pictures with a good Blu-Ray, it always looks soft when I go upstairs and look at my wife's plasma. Is the 1292Q better or are the flashlights now good enough for a serious home theater enthusiast? I found this screen shot from the JVC and it has me thinking may be so Smile

Phoenixed · Joined: 13 Oct 2011 Posts: 514 Location: The mitten

1292s streak and are loud or so I've been told.

HaydnG90 · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 1356

Way too loud for the average HT. Needs a hushbox or installation in a separate room.

ecrabb · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:22 am Post subject:

All depends on your priorities and budget. Like others have said, a 1292 is loud. Given your handle, I doubt you'd be happy with it - even in a hush box.

Plus, if it's super-sharpness you want, you may not be happy with anything less than a G90 (if you want to stay with Sony).

I've been using CRT for years... Several 12xx's - one minty - then, a minty G70. I'm a movie and home theater nut, not a CRT nut. The CRT was cool, and it certainly offered unequaled PQ ten years ago when I was getting into this hobby. Even 3 or 4 years ago, the bang for buck was (and some ways still is) awesome.

But, just this summer I sold my G70 and bought an RS45. As much as I loved the image from the G70 - the blacks, the color, and the film-like picture - I HATED the size and especially the noise. The projector was always quite noticeable in any quiet scene - even in a light hush box.

Now, it's quiet, small, the picture is very nice, and even with the lamp in eco mode, and aperture all the way closed, it's brighter than the CRT. There are really only two things consider negatives: The blacks aren't quite as good (though definitely very good), and because I sit very close to my screen, I can see pixels occasionally.

I'd highly recommend trying to see a JVC in action to see what you think of it before you make any purchase decisions.

I would recommend upgrading the 1272 regardless of which direction you go. G70's are plentiful now for so cheap, and it's such a huge upgrade from a 1271/1272, it's almost silly not to. I couldn't believe what a huge upgrade my 1271 to G70 upgrade was. Major sharpness bump, very noticeable contrast, better color (mostly because of the contrast), and no halos.

Happy to get into some more detailed characterizations of CRT vs. JVC if you're interested.

Cheers,
SC

Audiophile · Joined: 23 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Manassas, VA

Thanks you guys, great responses, appreciate it! The 1292Q is local but as you all have said, it sounds like it would be too noisy for HT use. I do remember years ago the 1292Q streaking issue but I thought there was a mod to fix it? I did consider a G70 as well but none are local and I wouldn't want to trust a CRT projector to a shipping company - I have heard the horror stories. Smile

I know this is the CRT forum but I would love to hear how your G70 to JVC transition went. After seeing the blacks in the screen shot above I think this might be the winner over another CRT machine. Do you have any screen shots showing the output of the JVC vs your G70?

Considering how bad the first LCD projectors I saw 10 years ago were to my 1272Q I thought I would never leave CRTs... but the contrast ratio numbers on that JVC sure are good. Smile

Audiophile · Joined: 23 Jun 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Manassas, VA

Purchased the JVC. Wow, black levels are amazing! Needless to say the 1272Q is coming off the ceiling this weekend. May be the wife will let me put it in the living room as a monument to home theater? Smile

Anyone want my back up projector - a 1252Q near mint condition with ~300 hours on the tubes? Smile

deej84 · Joined: 15 Oct 2009 Posts: 7

That's quite interesting. I viewed a jvc X70 today and thought the black levels were terrible. Maybe it was just a less than optimal setup. The store told me it was isf calibrated by jvc. There were a few power lights from electronic sources on in the room that could have been spilling onto the screen, but I don't think it was a big issue. Please post more of your findings between the 1272 and the jvc please. I'm looking into getting a digital from a 1252 but want to make sure it's the right choice

Bucketfoot · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 698 Location: Centennial, CO

I went from a 1270 to a JVC RS2 and would do it again in a heartbeat.

deej84 · Joined: 15 Oct 2009 Posts: 7

Hmmm, I bet the X70 wasn't setup even close to optimal. The RS25 I saw a few years ago blew me away and blacks were black. I assume a black diamond was used. I couldn't believe it. Then today, all I saw was a completely horrible picture. I was saddened as I thought the technology finally caught up. Maybe I'll have to find somewhere else to demo. I'm almost thinking of getting a dwin because of their size and noise. Is this in anyway an upgrade from the 1252? Sharper and brighter and no noise? Thoughts anyone?

ecrabb · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:07 pm Post subject:

Deej,

I find it hard to believe JVC calibrated the projector. I'm not aware of JVC sending out "calibrated" machines, and I'd bet money JVC doesn't pay a calibrator to come on-site. I have no idea what the dealer was referring to, but I'd have questions. The likelihood of the machine being set up sub-optimally is pretty high in my experience. There just aren't many dealers with the budget, knowledge, passion, etc. to have a machine really set up right. What screen was it on? What size? How was the lens aperture set?

I've got my RS45 on a 96x54 Wilsonart screen (1.3 gain), and the machine still relatively new, so I run the aperture completely closed. Even with the aperture stopped all the way down, the machine is very bright - a little brighter than my G70, but of course with no high-APL compression whatsoever like with the CRT.

Back to your CRT for a minute... If your 1252 is absolutely pitch "can't see your hand in front of your face" black, you're getting some low-IRE compression (black crush) to achieve that black level - even with some gamma correction using a Kimcoder or GammaX. If you're not using gamma correction, then you're really crushing the hell out the low IRE's to get your black level and your gamma is probably all over the place.

OK, now back to JVC for a minute... Even with the latest generation or two of JVC, black levels (on/off contrast), motion resolution, and "film-look" are going to be inferior compared to a well-setup CRT - especially in a perfectly pitch-black light-controlled room. Everything else - size, noise, ANSI contrast, sharpness, is superior to the CRT. If your 1252 is very well-setup, and fairly minty, you're probably resolving somewhere between 720p and 540p - probably closer to 540p - or about a quarter of HD. So, sharpness is massively superior to your 1252. The 1252 is also air-coupled and halos badly, so ANSI (mixed-scene) contrast is also massively superior on the JVC.

If I had a 1252, I'd definitely be looking at upgrading. If you have the room for it, not much budget, and/or black level is more important to you than other aspects of image quality, then an 8" EM/LC CRT like an NEC XG or Sony G70 is a huge upgrade for you for not a lot of money.

On the other hand, if you hate the noise from a CRT, you've got the money, and you're not a "single-issue" guy (black level), you'll probably be pretty thrilled with the JVC.

Questions? Ask away.

SC

ecrabb · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:14 pm Post subject:

deej84 · Joined: 15 Oct 2009 Posts: 7

I left my 1252 in calgary and moved out to toronto so I'm looking for something new eventually anyways. I didn't mind the picture of the 1252 at all running at 1080i. It was pretty large and loud compared to the dwin though. I'll try to find someone in the area to view their jvc. GTA is pretty huge some I'm sure I can find someone.

ecrabb · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:33 pm Post subject:

Yes, in a large metro area, you should have no problem. I'm in the middle of nowhere (compared to GTA), and I know of 3 JVC's within an hour's drive of me - one less than a mile.

SC

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

As Crabb said, you have to define your priorities. I still have a few CRTs and my G90 will probably be the one I use. On the other hand, I wouldn't cry to much if I had to go with a JVC. If the new lamp that JVC is using lasts 2k or more hours then it may be sooner rather than later.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 7:41 pm Post subject:

Also depends on how you want to use it. If you want to use your projector in place of a TV set you will want to go with CRT.

ecrabb · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 7:55 pm Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 7:57 pm Post subject:

I put about 6000 hours a year on a TV.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:08 am Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:15 am Post subject:

I split my watching across a whole whack of CRT TV's, PC monitors and projectors. I try not to millage them out too fast. My 1252 gave up around 19 000 hours with the original tubes. It was still watchable.
My 20" Zenith from 1988 went almost 10 years to the day then the tube gave out. I re-tubed it and it's still going 14 years later. Since then I picked up a "few" more TV's so the Zenith doesn't need to go 16/7.

Yeah 16 hours a day sounds about right. AND I strive to be Atypical Very Happy

At least I don't have to put up with pixels Thumbs Down

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:19 am Post subject: