Projector vs. Flat Panel display

I have been thinking of setting up a Projector in my room for some time now.  Every time I come close to making a decision something new comes out on the flat panel display side or I end up buying speakers or receivers. 

I think this is it.  I think I am going to bite the bullet and go for it. 

Umm...Maybe not and here is why.

Setting up a Projection system in your home is not that simple.  Sure, you can buy a cheese ass Projector Screen from Projecta and a dinky ass Casio business projector and call it a Theater.  Hell, you can even save the $99 that you would have spent on a screen and project that same dinky ass Casio projector on a wall.  Who needs a screen?  This is where majority of the people who inspire to have a Theater go WRONG. 

Then there are those who go with a $500 screen and a $1300 projector and call it a (Insert Your Name)'s Theater, and post pictures online.  That is a little closer to the real thing.  Still a similarly priced 65" Panasonic S2 Plasma would laugh at the shadow detail, viewing angles, performance with ambient light, and the overall picture quality of the $1500 projection system. 

In my opinion there are several things that need to be considered before setting up a Projection System in your home and I am not talking about the seats or curtains or any of the peripheral stuff here.  I read a very good article on Hometheater.com by Thomas J. Norton in March of last year.  Tom is one of my favorite writers on Hometheater.com.  I took the key factors that he talked about in his article and have compiled a Mo's MUST-DO List:

Room and the Screen placement:
This is a key factor.  The room MUST be rectangular.  You must allow enough space on either side of the screen.  Try to keep the speakers close to the screen and at least a couple of feet away from the corners of the room.  Speakers, like humans, need space to breath and operate.  Secondly, the last row of seats MUST be a few feet from the back wall. 

Lighting:

If you want the best projection setup, then you better find a way to make the room completely dark.  Room light washes out the image on the screen.  Simple as that! 

There are no two ways about it.  Some people recommend screens that are specifically designed for use with some ambient light, but I say, quit messing around!  The only way to get the full benefits of a projection system is with a completely dark room.  It’s also a good idea to paint the room as dark as possible, especially if your ceiling is low and white!

Screen Gain:
The other important factor when choosing a projection screen is the screen Gain.  For 3D consider higher screen gains, for example the Screen Innovation Black Diamond with a 1.4 gain.  However, for 2D a screen with a lower gain is preferred, e.g., the Screen Innovation Black Diamond Screen with a gain of 0.8.  Generally, I say a screen with a 1.3 Gain should work better for both 2D and 3D.

Projector:
Finally, the type of projector also matters.  There are many resources available online that can help you decide the type of projector you would want.  You can choose between LCD, LCOS (Sony’s SXRD is an LCOS variant), single-chip DLP, and three-chip DLP. All of these can produce a stunning image.

When deciding on a Projector you need to consider the color accuracy, black levels, gamma, and resolution.  There is nothing worse than a $5000 projector with a iffy gamma or contrast.  I go back to my original statement, if an entry level Plasma can beat the picture of a projection setup, you might as well not do it.  You are better off saving the coin and taking the family out to the Local Theaters for a family night.  There is more ROI associated with that than building a shotty theater in the basement.

More on the way!  Stay tuned.....

Pioneer Elite VSX-33 vs. Marantz SR6005

I recently purchased the Marantz SR6005 and here are my initial thoughts. 

Ratings based on similarly priced Receivers.
Audio: 2 channel 4 Mo's, Multichannel 4 Mo's
Video: 3.5 Mo's.  Sub par upscaling.

The Marantz replaced my Pioneer Elite VSX-33.  The main differences between the two AVRs are:
1) Dual HDMI Ouputs on the Elite vs Single HDMI Output on the Marantz
2) True Onscreen GUI overlay on the Marantz.  The Elite's GUI blacks out the source picture.
3) The Marantz has multichannel inputs for use with an older SACD player whereas the Elite is all digital and does not have this option.
4) The Elite is THX Select2 certified and the Marantz is not.  I prefer the THX bass management and prefer watching movies with THX engaged. 

I have the Marantz powering my center (Motif) and surrounds (Montage) just like the Pioneer.  As was the case with the Elite, the Marantz feeds the Emotiva XPA-2 via preamp outputs which powers the fronts (Vantages).

The Marantz had no problems with the Directv 3D channels, n3D and ESPN 3D.  I have not gotten those crazy EDID errors that I was experiencing with the Elite (at least till now).  Same was true with 3D via the PS3.  I used to get the "resolution not supported" errors with the Elite on the 3D channels.  PS3 would simply say that the TV was not a 3D TV.

I ran Audyssey for 3 positions using the supplied mic and my trusted DYNEX tripod.  As usual I got the Phase check error for the fronts and as usual I ignored it.  Audyssey detected all the speakers correctly but like the Elite's MCACC set the MartinLogan Montage speakers incorrectly as Large.  The Vantages were set to full-band which is what I want.  In my room the Vantages produce usable output down to 31hz (verified using a RadioShack SPL meter).  The crossover for the Motif was set to 60hz which is fine I suppose but I changed it to the THX recommended 80hz for both the center and surrounds.

My stance on the crossover deal is simple.  If the SPL does not produce usable (at least 60db at 40 hz) output in your room then the speakers need to be set to Small.  Failure to do so comprises the low frequency reproduction.      

Early impressions (2 channel):
The Marantz can accept sample rates of 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192 khz through the digital coax inputs.  I listened to a number of high resolution and CD quality tracks via my media server and Sonos ZP90 on the Marantz.

Like the "Sound Retriever" on Elite, Marantz uses M-Dax for compressed music.  I prefer the sound of the Elite's Sound Retriever over the M-Dax.  I left this setting off.

The bass seems more well rounded compared to the Elite.  The highs are slightly silkier than the Elite, but the midrange was better on the Elite.  Most of the listening to this point has been in the Pure Direct or Direct mode.  I prefer the Direct mode over the Pure Direct mode because the former keeps the bass management in play. 

My early impression is that Marantz is slightly more musical than the Elite.  However, I reserve the right to change this early opinion.

Topsy (Dick Hyman) and Dacoit Duel (A. R. Rahman) sounded just as good via the Marantz as they did through the Elite.  The difference between the two is subtle, for example, the drums on Topsy were more further back on the Marantz then on the Pioneer, where they sounded more forward.  My professional drummer brother in-law, Mr. White, has also previously commented on the slight forward sounding drums on this track via the Elite.  The correct sound is when the drums are set well back behind the plane of the speakers.   The double bass sounded rich on the Elite but on the Marantz had a more richer and rounded tone to it. 

Multichannel Music:  Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, is one of my favorite SACDs.  I used the PS3 (Fatty) to send the 5.1 channel, 176.4 khz - PCM signal to the Marantz.  The clocks at the beginning of "Time" were accurately placed high, low and wide.  Surround imaging was good and not too distracting.  I heard more in the surrounds with the Marantz than I have ever heard with any of the Pioneer Elites that I have used in my system.  The Sax Solo by Dick Parry on "Money" is powerful and the Marantz brought out all the highs and lows in the solo. It's a great sax solo but it gets overshadowed by a strong guitar solo that follows.  Needless to say I had fun listening to Pink Floyd on the SR-6005.  I can only imagine how good the SR-7005 or the pre-amp AV-7005 would sound like. 

Movies:  DVD upscaling through the advanced Anchor Bay video processor on the Marantz is decent but not as good as the Marvell's advanced Qdeo video processing used on the Elite.  Elite's upscaling is a notch above.  Bollywood DVDs like Sathiya looked good enough and didn't impress as much as the Elite.  Blu-rays on the other hand were more even.  The biggest difference for me was on the surround mix end, where again I am hearing more in the surrounds with the Marantz than I have ever heard with any of the Elites.  DTS Master Audio track on Master and Commander and True HD track on the Dark Knight were impressive with lots of surround effects all over the damn place.

Conclusion: The Marantz delivers solid audio performance for the money.  Aside from the less than stellar upscaling performance you would be hard pressed to find an AVR better than the SR-6005 in the sub $1000 category.

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D Blu-ray Review

I have to admit, the only reason why I bought this 3D blu-ray was because I was getting sick of watching animated 3D content.  The 3D was shot with the same 3D camera system that was used in Avatar, but that does not automatically mean that the 3D effects were as good.  After all this movie IS directed by Paul W. S. Anderson (Alien Vs. Predators)    

Equipment used in Review: Sony 55 HX800, PS3 (3D), Pioneer Elite BDP-23FD (2D), Pioneer Elite VSX-33 (Center, Surround), Emotiva XPA-2 (Front Left and Right), MartinLogan Vantage, Motif, Montage, and Depth-i.

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  The bit-rate maxes out at 3.56 MBPS, which is not that impressive, but will give your surrounds and sub(s) a pretty good workout.  The overall sound was open and had some low frequency effects to keep the sub satisfied for one night.  The soundtrack is not as good as the first Resident Evil but manages to get the job done.

Best Demo Scene(s):

Chapter 11. 

This is the sequence on the roof top when Alice is running towards the exit.  Watch for the coins (we find out why she likes to collect them) as they jump out of the screen after being shot out of a shot gun via a couple of Zombie heads.  A little bit later in the chapter Alice and Claire battle the giant Zombie.  The video in this scene is simply awesome and full of dimension.  In an overhead camera shot the water from the sawed off plumbing is literally spraying outwards.

3D presentation:

The 3D effects on the Sony HX800 were actually a lot better than the digital 3D presentation that I had seen at the local cinemas.   The video presentation was crisp with plenty of detail. The black levels and shadow detail was excellent too.  Crosstalk (between right and left image) or ghosting was minimal compared to digital 3D presentation.   

Audio Rating: 3.5 Mo's (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being kick ass)

Video Rating: 4.5 Mo's (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being kick ass)

I would not have seen this movie for a second time (at home) if not for the 3D.  Overall, I would recommend this movie for 3D purposes only.     

Pioneer Elites to return as Sharp Elite's

WTF....When I first heard about it, the only thing that came to mind was "Is this a nightmare?....have I been transported to Elm Street?....Freddy's blades were replaced by 4 pixels, Red, Green, Blue, and that God forsaken Yellow pixel. 

Seriously, this must be Karma!  For years, us Audio and Video Enthusiasts, have made a living making fun of two brands, BOSE and SHARP.  Serves us well!