OT - CRT projectors

[Doc B.]

I have a full 5.1 set of Orcas and BUF sub to install, but at the moment we are running stereo. In the future the new DAC will have the ability to be daisy chained with two others to decode 5.1. For now I am considering a few options and leaning towards the Outlaw 975 as it is one of the few processors that can decode the Dolby Digital Plus used in Netflix streaming. Another possibility is to get the Oppo bluray player and just use its analog out directly into the amps.

As of today we are in a state of construction as I get the CRT up to the ceiling. Yesterday I installed a mount that hangs from steel angle mounted on top of the ceiling joists. After trying a couple of different lifting ideas that turned out to be too difficult, it's looking like a hoist mounted in the attic will be raising the proj to its mount through a small hole in the ceiling. This CRT stuff is not for wimps.

[xcortes]

Ha, I've also been looking at the 975. I had a 990 a few years back and it was great but "upgraded" to an onkyo pro 886 because I needed hdmi. Doesn't sound that good. The 975 seems like a very good alternative with less messing with the signal in the digital section. I just asked if they ship to Mx.

[Grainger49]

Xavier,

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FSmiles%2Feek2_zps413daeab.gif&hash=e1e39e136cdd0201df3c6e361c13118bc3c455bf)  .  .  .   That will make the month when it is released. 

If you guys release it while I'm still working (first day today) I am interested, very interested! 

[madbrayniak]

CRT projectors are really cool but I will never be in a place that I can use one as they usually seem to need such a long distace to really work well.

I was going to suggest looking at the LCOS as I saw that you wanted good blacks but it looks like you found a CRT already.

You should post some pictures of your theater when you are done Doc!

[Doc B.]

Throw distance was one of the things I had to find out before I decided to buy. Actually the throw distance of the CRT is about 3.5 feet shorter than my DLP was for the same screen size, 110" distance for an 84" wide screen (96" diag. 16:9). Which is good because the whole thing is so long it wouldn't fit in the room otherwise and there is no zoom adjustment like there is on digitals. The back of the Sony sits about where the front of the Dwin was.

There is a lot of math involved in calculating throw distance, screen height and tilt angle of the proj. with only about a 5% tolerance allowed. I worked out most of it empirically with the projector "floor mounted", actually on a couple of ikea parsons tables. Even so I ended up with a few sheets of paper covered with calcs for ceiling mounting at the same distance before I felt that had it all sorted yesterday.

[Chris]

Agreed... again , my friends room  is not that big and his CRT has a relatively short distance to the screen also....

[Doc B.]

A forged eye bolt with heavy duty fender washer for the projector and a hoist ring for my rafter are on the way from McMaster. With the trusty comealong that I have used for everything from dragging cars with frozen brakes on to trailers to straightening out my bashed in truck bumper after getting rear ended in traffic jam a couple weeks ago (the woman had the gall to ask me to fix her bumper for her after following me at a crawl for a mile or so and then ramming me) I should be able to get this puppy winched up to the ceiling in style.

[Chris]

Not to belabor the fun, but, I ran across yet another movie that is just what your CRT needs running through those big tri lenses....   "My Left Eye Sees Ghosts" on the thrill channel... Gotta think that would be quite inconvenient while driving...  They should also add that to the disclaimer.. "If you are to operate heavy machinery, you cannot be under the influence of drugs, alcohol or ghosts in your left eye"....

[STURMJ]

Cheerleader Ninjas, is another worthy "film".  I have to admit, it is cleverly shot, and told, crappy story.  Also George Takei palys their dojo master.

[Chris]

I am impressed that you admitted you actually watched it!!!

[Bill Chase]

Doc,
   I still use a Mac Mini as a media server, just not to play directly.  I have iSedora running on the mini (I've also used Universal Music Server) as a music/video server pulling from direct attached storage, transmitting to the network input on an Oppo BDP-95 (I really like the Oppo for this and its ability to play numerous formats that the Mac is not inclined to natively, including FLAC & BluRay ). 
   I'm coming out of the Oppo multiple ways right now. Analog goes to tube pre to Paramounts and analog + HDMI into a Marantz 5005 for HT.  Video goes via HDMI into both straight to TV and to the receiver.
   I programmed a universal remote (Harmony Remote in this case) to family-proof the settings for common activities when I wasn't home.  My recently ordered Paramounts will allow me to omit the Marantz and entirely just continue to use the Oppo as a universal media receiver.
Merry Christmas,
Bill

[Doc B.]

Thanks Bill,

I really love the Mini I got from you and I'm not ready to give up on it. Not sure if using it just as a server through my BDP-1600 blu ray player is possible but I'll look into it. My main goal was to be able to stream Netflix off the Mini in order to make getting at the Netflix queue easier, as the Samsung just allows access to what is in your queue already.

Anyway, I may have found a possible solution in SwitchResX. Hopefully I'll have the proj on the ceiling tomorrow and I'll be able to get back to working on the rest of the setup and see if that might work. I also asked Clark for a pair of Dungeness subs to use with the front Orcas. This should allow me to keep the deep bass out of the Orcas and the single BUF sub I have been using can then operate as the .1 effects channel and center channel speaker stand.

PB picked up a cheap Ikea rack for the gear and we put in an inexpensive rug with a black background on the light colored floor to help the rest of the blackout efforts (including shooting the 'boardroom beige' projector panels with black Plasti dip spray). When it is all done we'll put some photos up on the soon to be launched new web site.

[xcortes]

Well, there's no way to set a crt projector in my small tv room.


But  I need more room for my ever growing family.


And there's two shoeboxes under my kids rooms within the cimentation.


So now Dr Cortes (my father, phd in architecture, professor emeritus from the National University of Mexico and many other badges) is devising a way to recover that space. It looks like we can get a 7m x10m room. Completely light proof and sound proof. It'll be more like digging a mine than building a room.


Next steps: build two more Paramours to go from 5.1 to 7.1 (have all the parts including the Ni 050s to match the other five), build two additional Pi Pro four speakers, get a crt projector (already in process with curt palme), and, of course build the room


Doc, you'd better find a way to use the upcoming "philos" for multichannel.

[Doc B.]

Very cool! Knowing your taste for upscale stuff I imagine you are looking in the G90/9500/909 range. I dunno anything about them, but I will say that being able to do 99% of the tweaking of the image from the Sony remote is really nice and I wouldn't hesitate to try a G90 if one came my way for a good price. And the Moome HDMI card really makes the setup easy and great looking.

Tonight I beefed up the ceiling joist support for the projector, cut a hole in the ceiling for my winch cable and when Colin gets here I will get him to help me mount the winch to the rafters in the attic. Not a lot of fun, but it beats digging a basement ;^)>

I'm sure there will be photos as we raise the beast into place. Tomorrow we should get the proj hung and converged and I will try out my new/old colorimeter.

[xcortes]

Nope,

This time I'll just go with the second tier and get a 8500. Curt was tempting me with a g90 but it's too heavy and it's gotta fly from BC to Aztlan.  Curt will install all the bells and whistles including the hdmi card. It's a like new projector.  This is a project that has all the family excited so no buyers remorse (as if I cared!).