The PGL Home Theater Screenshot Thread! *Warning: Big Files*

[Jon Liu]

Alrighty,

I decided to utilize the camera that I now am borrowing long term.

Here's some screenshots taken from various Blu-ray titles. The quality is pretty good but, it's still lacking the pop that it has in real life. Some of them actually look closer to what you would see on my screen in real life but, some fall short a bit, in detail, sharpness, or are more grainy, etc.

Either way, you get the picture!































These were shot with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT.

I will try to get screenshots of other things as well but, I just wanted to get this thread started!

[wizz1e]

Impressive

[Peench]

Awesome idea Jon. I'll try to take some screenies on my TV's with my various players and post them up here.

[GoatMother]

Awesome.. What is your gear? How big of an area is that?

[ZoomZoom71]

Remind me not to open this thread w/ my Windows Mobile device. Each view of it would cost a couple of dollars.

[Jon Liu]

GoatMother, that is viewing on a 92" screen with a Panasonic AE900 Projector. It's not quite the best representation, but you get the general idea! The picture, in real life, is sharper, more finely detailed, and less grainy. Although, I am very happy with the results of this Camera I am using. It seems to capture the overall light output of my projector pretty well! I could never take pictures like that with the Canon SD500 that I have.

Digital SLR all the way baby!!

[GoatMother]

Yeah, those are great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[BiffCo]

Damn you Jon! Nice pics, but with a picture like that, you are now making me consider buying the Optoma HD70 instead of the IN72!

-Brad

[Jon Liu]

Biff, I think you'll be happy either route you take, the Optoma or the Infocus! The 720p resolution is nice and if you can get it for cheap, I'd say it would be worth it to make that jump. But, with that said, when I was using the 4805, it was a fantastic projector in itself, so I can only imagine that the IN72 would be more of the same and then some!

I wish I could get the proper detail and sharpness with the screenies as I get with the actual image I view!!! Maybe I need to fiddle with the settings a bit more.

[BiffCo]

I'm going to check out Sound Advice when I actually have the money. I know they have the HD70, so if I can get them down somewhere between $700-$800, I'm going to bite the bullet. The markup on these proj. are insane (I have some friends that work there). I think the Infocus is still a good choice, but I keep reading around the web that the mail-in deal is ending soon. If that's the case, I'm probably going to go for the HD70. I wants me some hi-def!

-Brad

[Jon Liu]

I hear ya! It's sad, I've been watching so many fantastic transfers in HD, whether it's HD-DVD or Blu-ray, then I go to watch a "HD" Television show and somehow it seems to be lacking...

I guess I could blame that on the bandwidth that they use or don't use for their shows!

[BiffCo]

I think it also has to do with the camera setup. HD film cameras used for movies like Miami Vice and Crank are different than those used for HD TV shows.

After doing a bit of preliminary research on the HD70, I think I'm going to hold off and just stick with the IN72. The HD70 would require me to ceiling mount it because of it's 33% offset, where as the IN72 can be put on a shelf behind the seating area. Ceiling mounting isn't a big deal, but it is because I live in a rental place. The less holes in the wall, the better.

I'll just wait it out until 1080p projectors get into my budget (should be a couple years).

-Brad

[Jon Liu]

I think that the IN72 will be a GREAT stop-gap for you until the 1080p projectors are affordable to you and me!

[alter_ego_trip]

Awesome pics Jon. I can never get mine to come out that great. Here's one of the better ones. I'll let you guess the movie.

[BiffCo]

Can I please request no screenshots of Fifth Element please?

BTW, quick question to you guys (cause I'm a semi FP newbie), what is so evil about keystone correction? I'm think I may need to use it because of my limited placement options.

-Brad

[Peench]

We should probably all post the settings we used to take the photos too to help out those of us who want to take similar photos.

[alter_ego_trip]

Originally Posted by Big Brad

Can I please request no screenshots of Fifth Element please?

BTW, quick question to you guys (cause I'm a semi FP newbie), what is so evil about keystone correction? I'm think I may need to use it because of my limited placement options.

-Brad

What is Keystoning?
"Keystoning" occurs when a projector is aligned non-perpendicularly to a screen, or when the projection screen has an angled surface. The image that results from one of these misalignments will look trapezoidal rather than square. A distorted image is a distraction most presenters want to avoid. However, in some cases, there is nowhere else to place the projector. So what can you do?

Early projectors did not have keystone correction features, leaving you with little option but to work around them. Projectors were usually found in fixed installations, so furniture and screens could typically be moved to accommodate. As projectors became lighter and more portable, the demand for an easier solution grew.

Manual Keystone Correction
Today, there are two methods of keystone correction, manual and digital. Manual keystone correction is essentially a physical adjustment to the lens of the projector so that it projects at an angle higher or lower than it would be if it were on a flat surface. The manual adjustment works well in some situations, but cannot eliminate horizontal keystoning. The projector also needs to be far away from the screen to achieve results. Not good enough you say? Read on...


Digital Keystone Correction
LCD and DLP™ projectors are both digital display devices. Data such as a PowerPoint presentation sent to a projector, is digitally converted and scaled. By adding a special, selectable, algorithm to the scaling, some new projectors are able to alter the image before it reaches the projection lens. The result is a squared image, even at an angle. This allows presenters more flexibility when setting up their projector in variable environments.

Degree of Correction
Projectors vary in the amount of keystone correction they can provide. For vertical (up and down) keystone correction, some offer a modest 12 degrees while others achieve as much as 35 degrees of correction. Some new projectors, such as the latest line-up of Hitachi projectors, also offer horizontal (side to side) keystone correction.

While keystone correction is a handy feature for road warriors and other portable projector users, it does not produce an ideal picture quality. Scaling inside the projector creates a slightly distorted image, particular