The Screen Innovations Mirage Screen features a patented high-contrast filter that covers 60% of the screen surface. This filter allows the projected image to be reflected by the screen and effectively absorbs incidental light from other angles from such sources as windows and room lighting. As a result, the screen is virtually unaffected by ambient light.

Wow, just when I got used to sitting in my cave to watch the big screen every night! At least the product won’t be available until later this year, so I’ll have time to adjust my pupil training.

This should extinguish many arguments with wife-units, and allow for front projector home theater systems to peacefully co-exist in the domesticated home. Schwing! One for the boys.

Article

While anecdotal evidence suggests that men are more likely to monopolize the remote, a new study suggests that women are in the driver’s seat when it comes to using a digital video recorder.

In a national survey of 1,000 DVR users divided equally by sex, 48 percent of married women say the decision to purchase a DVR was their own, while 55 percent of the wives claim they understood how to interface with their unit’s myriad features better than their husbands.

Interesting article, but all I can say is, “Not in MY house!”

Source

Flat-Panel Screen Market Set to Double by 2008

“The global LCD market is expected to grow from US$48 billion last year to US$70 billion in 2008,” said Souk Jun-hyung, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics, during the IMID event in Seoul yesterday.

I really don’t think it will take that long, unless the economy really nosedives. I think we are experiencing the snowball effect, and pretty soon everyone will be asking, “Have you hugged your flatscreen today?”

Rear Projection TV Sales Poised to Take Off in Japan
In Japan, where things are small, Sony hopes to bump sales to 10k RP units, up from a staggering 2,000 units sold last year.

Methinks Sony is being rather optimistic, I don’t think the Japanese like their HT big and hulking as their western counterparts do.

Sony officials said the company expects strong demand in Japan ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament in Germany next year. Video equipment manufacturers usually take advantage of major international sports events as opportunities to spur demand for new products. Victor Co. of Japan , which entered the domestic rear projection TV market in May, is planning to release a new large-screen model ahead of the year-end shopping season.

Next up, the Panasonic PT-AE700U Home Theater Front Projector.

This LCD unit is a true widescreen projector with a native resolution of 1280 x 720, giving you HD in a native format. This projector came out last October, and has made a roaring success.

This machine has all the standard connections, and includes HDCP enabled HDMI input for your digital connection.
8 - 40 ‘ throw distance
40- 400 ” image size
With lens shift !

If I were going for an entry level LCD unit, this is what I would be looking for. It can had as low as 1800 big ones.

This is the current entry level HT front projector from InFocus. HTDude likes InFocus products, he was first attracted to DIY home theater by the ease of use and installation of the InFocus X1 projector.

The Screenplay 4805 has been around for over a year, and can be had for about 800 bucks refurbished, or a grand brand new. (Don’t be cheap - get a new one.)

This DLP machine is based on the X1 chassis, and sports some similar components. However, this model has a widescreen aspect ratio and includes a 4x 6 segment color wheel.

Some of the vitals:
Native resolution: 854×480 Pixels
HD Compatibility: 1035i, 1080i, 720p
Image size: 32 to 256 inches
Throw distance of 5 to 33 feet

Inputs - Component, straight rca video (don’t waste yer time), and DVI

Lamp is rated at 3k hours

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There are some reported odd quirks that could be fixed on the next firmware upgrade, if InFocus gets their act together on this. In all, a great PJ for the money.

Front projectors are the heart of any real home theater. Sure, you can get a great picture with plasma and lcd screens, and relatively big screen with a rear projection model. But you can’t go no big mamma mondo screen, as big as yer wall, unless you go with a big daddy front projector.

Sure, there is great tech out there, and just about any grandma will love it when you let her in to visit. But if you really wanna beat the Jones’, having the boys over for the football party where nobody can stop looking at the players bigger than themselves, you will be Da Man.

This is the HTDude Display Type of choice, so let’s take some time away from watching the bigscreen and look over the major front projector players currently on the market.

Like htdude.com but in print [and not as good ;)]

A smart collection of insider tips and tricks, Home Theater Hacks covers home theater installation from start to finish, purchase to experience. Just imagine: no frustrating trial and error process and better yet, no expensive appointments with installation experts. Home Theater Hacks prevents both by imparting down-and-dirty technique not found anywhere else.

$16.47 from amazon.com

Wow, Nintendo sits this generation of the console wars out, as far as HD is concerned. This is huge news for HT enthusiasts. HT Dude is quite confused!

“There currently are no plans for Nintendo Revolution to support high-definition video output,” said Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America’s vice president of marketing and corporate affairs. While promising more Revolution details would be revealed “soon,” for the moment, Kaplan would only give a vague reason for her company’s decision. “We have thoroughly considered the best means of video output for the system and are dedicated to delivering the best hardware possible to meet the demands of our consumers,” she said.

Revolution sitting out HD Era? - News at GameSpot

Front Projectors growth to skyrocket over the next few years.

The consumer segment represents one of the fastest-growing, high-volume areas for front-projection systems. Consumer front-projection shipments are expected to expand to 3.7 million units in 2009.

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