IGN gets it! Well, almost.

They buy a $450 projector, and build a screen for $80 to end up with a 9 foot TV! That’s what home theater DIY is all about, baby.

Now, they didn’t exactly end up with HDTV, you can’t get a native HD projector unless you get close to the $2k range, but these machines can still produce an awesome image.

And for some gaming goodness these guys desire? A 9 foot screen can’t be beat.

IGN: Huge HDTV, Tiny Price

Not long ago, we took a look at a review of the Colorvision Spyder TV. This unit, the Spyder2Pro Studio, is the bigger brother and includes a mount for attachment to a tripod.

Then you can easily calibrate your home theater projector. You definitely want to calibrate your projector.

Review Conclusion:
“We were already sold on the capabilities of Spyder2PRO Studio for use with our motley crew of CRT and LCD monitors we have installed here at the Midwest Test Facility. It’s an instrument that serves us well, keeping all of these monitors, which are in various stages of decay, honest. Now with its new projector calibration routine, it’s even more versatile. Highly recommended. 9.5 out of 10 stars.”

Spyder2PRO Studio: Projector Setup

I came across a press release on this gem today, it looks like it should now be readily available.

This machine has been touted as the best projector under 10 grand. Benq themselves say it’s the best according to the claim to world’s best contrast ratio of 10,000:1.

Review of the PE8720 here.
AVS thread on this machine here.


Press Release

Epson gets into the home theater game with two new LCD rear projection models, the 55 inch ELS-55GL1 and the 65 inch ELS-65GL1.

These bad boys come with Onkyo sound systems! HDMI, VGA inputs and a USB port for a printer. They also include a memory card slot for photo viewing. (yeah, they’re still a printer company too)

The 65″ model should retail for a bit over $5800 and the 55″ unit should be around $5000 when they start shipping next month.

More products means more competition which is always better for the consumer. I can’t help but wonder if Epson know what they’re getting into, though.

Epson Launches 55 and 65 inch 1080p LCD Projection HDTVs
Via Gizmodo

The Yamaha YSP-800 Digital Sound Projector wins gadget of the week at Time.com.

This compact surround sound system is all in one unit. It uses digital delay and electronic trickery to get your brain to think you’re hearing sound from all sides. And it works!

You’d definitely want to consider a separate sub, however.

This unit has simple connections, and is great for mounting directly under your display.

“I compared the YSP-800 to a mid-priced surround-sound setup with Acoustic Research speakers powered by Pioneer’s VSX-72TXV receiver (more on the Pioneer receiver in the coming weeks). I was impressed by how well the sound projector could replace the five speakers that are carefully positioned—ugly exposed wiring and all—around my TV room. The speakers give a little more midrange than the sound projector, but when it came to the tinkling of glass or rushing of wind in the surround channel, both rigs gave me a satisfying feeling of immersion.”


Yamaha YSP-800 Digital Sound Projector

According to microsoft, more xbox 360s are on their way. Hmmm, have we heard this before? I guess it’s only been a bit over a week since launch… but still.

Come on MS, where are those 360s!!

“We are shipping units constantly (we have chartered 747’s regularly flying in with units). Some retailers have a backorder wait list, and might not have units that will be on shelf for some time, and some retailers might allocate more units to one store over another, but all stores that have placed orders are getting replenishments regularly.

In fact, we have confirmation that units are on the ground and on their way to retailers this week. When those will go from our warehouses to retailer warehouses, then to retailer locations is largely up to those retailers, so there’s no easy way to say which store will get product on which day. You should call your local retailer to find out. We remain on track to ship 2.75 to 3.0 million consoles in the first 90 days.”

It’s interesting we don’t get any numbers for how many have shipped, or shipped this week.

Source - Xbox 360 Maniac

Projector Central has written a nice comparison piece on the three hottest 720p projectors currently available. Two of these models are LCD. I must confess I have been a DLP man up to now, but with the latest LCD performance of these two models, I am thinking about switching to the dark side. (I can feel the force growing stronger there.)

If you’re in the market for an HD projector in the 2-3 grand range, these are the units to check out.

Here are the final comments on each:

Sanyo’s PLV-Z4
This year, Sanyo’s PLV-Z4 has matched the 2.0x zoom range of its competition from Panasonic, and added the numerous other performance features noted above. For my tastes, it is an outstanding projector that outperforms every other 720p projector that we’ve put it up against so far, whether it be LCD or DLP.

The fact that it is also the least expensive of the new 720p products, as well as one of the few to include a standard 3-year warranty, is a strange anomaly in the marketplace to be sure. But someone at Sanyo decided to get very aggressive this year, and they did it in spades. It is difficult to beat the overall value proposition represented by the Z4.

Sanyo PLV-Z4 Full Review

Panasonic AE900
The Panasonic AE900 is also one of the elite price/performers on the market in the 720p category, selling for a very aggressive price in the low $2,000s. Many consumers will prefer it to the Z4 due to the absence of pixelation and its exceptional color accuracy.

Together with the Z4, these two models represent a one-two punch that will cause many people to question the traditional supremacy of DLP as the preferred video technology. Few people expected LCD to show this well against its DLP competition.

Panasonic AE900U Full Review

Mitsubishi HC3000
The Mitsubishi HC3000 is an aggressively priced WXGA resolution DLP projector with unique features that are absent from the LCD competition, such as native 768-line display and maintenance-free operation as far as filters are concerned. It is one of the lowest priced DLP products in this general resolution group, and produces a picture that is equal to or better than many more expensive DLP products.

Deep black levels and good shadow detail are strong suits, and for those who place a premium value on these picture attributes, the HC3000 is an excellent choice for the money. The optics produce some inherent restrictions as to where it can be placed to achieve a particular image size, but if it fits into your viewing space geometry it will produce a brilliant sparkling picture that will dazzle friends and neighbors.

Mitsubishi HC3000 Full Review

The New 720p Projectors
Via HD Blog

Last September, DirecTV told their current subscribers that they would get a free upgrade for new HD hardware.

Recently though, HD subscribers have been billed $99 for the new system.

“DIRECTV spokesman Robert Mercer said the free upgrade would not happen until the company converted from its current MPEG2 transmission to MPEG4. Mercer said it was unclear when that transfer would happen, but it would likely occur in most cities sometime in 2006.”

Ah! So, it’s free once they convert their entire network. You must pay to get in early. Sounds fair enough, had it been properly explained beforehand.

Some customers have reported getting refunds if they complain enough. (Squeaky wheel and all.) Seems a bit underhanded to this dude.

Article

Ok, first let me say this is not exactly a high-end piece of kit, but with Christmas just around the corner, this could be just what little Johnny needs.

If your kid has his own projector, maybe it will help you keep his dirty little hands off of yours.

Before we get into the details, let’s get right to the price - less than 300 bucks. Ok, now that your expectations will be more in line with what this thing is…

The unit has RCA video and audio inputs, enabling your crumb-snatcher to easily play video games or (gasp) VHS tapes.

Built in DVD player

Built in speaker

Resolution - 557 x 234

Lamp is weak, the room needs to be dark. Rated at 1000 hours.

“Just plug it in to a power outlet, pop in a DVD, aim at a white wall and start the unit. You’ll get a 5-foot diagonal image from 8 feet away.”

Ok, you know Junior doesn’t need HD quality while watching Nemo for 174th time. The size of the image should keep him occupied, and pretty soon, he’ll grow up to be just like Daddy.

Check this thing out, it is online for less than $285:

source

I came across an interesting post at HD Beat today, asking if HD is a requirement for Home Theater.

It is not.

Just as 4 wheels and a combustible engine are not a requirement of transportation, a VHS VCR and 20″ crt TV can be a viable home theater.

It’s all in the perspective. (nobody said HT requires BLING, just don’t brag about your coax inputs…)

While HDTV, HD, and high definition are the buzzword rage, we need to know if we actually need HD for our home theater experience. It boils down to this - what will you be watching?

If you primarily watch DVDs and Standard Defition broadcasts (I like to call it ‘fuzzy tv’, but whatever) such as regular cable, HD is not for you. That is, unless you want to be future-proof. (Buy HD now for the content you may watch in the next year or two +.)

If you have digital cable or satellite, have HD channels available OTA (local broadcasts), want to get that extra 10-15% of pop from an upconverting DVD player, and/or play hi-res computer or console games, you need to seriously consider HD for your display.

It mainly boils down to this - whatever you feed it determines what you need. If you’re not sure, find out what is available from your cable or satellite provider. Chances are, if it’s available and you’re willing to try it, you’ll probably want it.

If you’re not sure what you’ll be watching, or you’re middle of the road for usage, consider the size of your set. The larger the set, the better quality image you’ll want to have. In other words, fuzzy TV is not quite so fuzzy when you’re at 23″.

HD is good stuff, but it’s not required for you to have a good home theater.