My First Projector & Screen

[Travis Ballstadt]

Does he use AT Screens?

I might need to look into a 16:9 drop-down AT for in front of my fixed. would definitely give me a bigger 16:9 image!

Yes, they're both AT.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Apologies for the tangent... just documenting some reference material for future discussion.

If you’re looking for a 1080p... IF it were me, I’d seek out a used JVC for under a grand, get a new OEM bulb, and never look back ;-)

I have to say, I had a JVC RS45 that I sold for peanuts.... its 1080p performance isn't that drastically different than my RS520. Just say'n.
I sold that RS45 for $500

I absolutely love the picture quality from my 1080p JVC X75R : )

Seymour Screens has a very high opinion of JVC projectors as well. Their endorsing article goes to great lengths to explain why.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Over the last several years, I don't think you can get a better price/performance ratio than the JVC line.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

I might need to look into a 16:9 drop-down AT for in front of my fixed. would definitely give me a bigger 16:9 image!

Just ran across a 2-in-1 design from Elite on this webpage.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

I always say, "Set me loose in a room of HT gear without price tags, and I'll inevitably pick out the most expensive stuff." Man, oh man, is the JVC line pricey! Even the used offerings I could find were out of my budget (> $2k).

Starting to get a little discouraged between screen and projector prices. Also starting to wonder how many corners I can cut and still have a quality experience--knowing my taste, I probably wouldn't be happy settling for less than the quality I get now from a 65" plasma.

I'd like to keep my budget at $3k for the pair, but don't know if that's realistic.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Have you looked at something like this?

JVC DLARS46U for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for JVC DLARS46U at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I'd like to keep my budget at $3k for the pair, but don't know if that's realistic.

Check your PMs.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Have you looked at something like this?

JVC DLARS46U for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for JVC DLARS46U at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

You’re amazing! How do you find this stuff? The guy even sounds honest.

I found a replacement lamp for $65 during a spot search. Got to go do some quick research while the clock ticks down.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Be SUPER careful that you aren't buying a fake bulb. Buy OEM only, even if it means having to spend 250 bucks.

A cheap knock off won't last long. You could have color shift... or, even worse, have it explode.

That RS46U... I think you'd find that to give you a really solid cinematic 1080p 24fps image on movies. If you buy it, or something like it, just throw it into Cinema mode, turn off all motion smoothing/frame interpolation, and use the Spears/Munsil HD disc to dial in your image. Just make sure you're using it in a dark room... and it will look sweet.

You might want to read a review just to confirm it was well regarded at the time of release (99.9% sure it was considered to be a very good buy).

I'd just ask the seller to confirm there aren't any pixel alignment issues... Guessing there aren't.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Got your heads-up with many thanks
The reviews on the RS46U were almost all positive, but I have more questions and need to sleep on what I've learned today.

 

[JStewart]

Here's another projector from the AVS classifieds. There's always projectors on there as folks upgrade.

Fs: Jvc rs45

www.avsforum.com

Ad said small scratches from the ceiling mount which reminded me when I looked into ceiling mounts for JVC they were kind of pricey.
Ad also says 1700 hrs. I checked and that one has 3000hr bulb life "normal" mode. So could have just under 1/2 the life remaining to postpone bulb purchase.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I owned an RS45... liked it!

 

[JStewart]

I owned an RS45... liked it!

I wish JVC had been my 1st purchase. I had 3 Panasonics before getting one. They were very good but couldn't match the black level of the JVC. JVC was a nice step up.
Seems like many of us on AVNirvana have settled on JVC.

 

[Todd Anderson]

^^^ When I first jumped to a projector I bought a JVC and Panasonic... did a shoot out in theater room. The difference in performance was enough for me to make a super easy decision: JVC all the way.

Every year at CEDIA, I get a chance to see the latest and greatest from the Epson, Sony, JVC (along with Wolf's version of JVC and other various brands). And I always leave preferring the JVC image. Bias? Perhaps, but JVC's black levels add a richness to the image that make it appear more organic and natural (to my eye).

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Be SUPER careful that you aren't buying a fake bulb. Buy OEM only, even if it means having to spend 250 bucks.

Hmmm.... the OEM replacement bulb for the RS45 mentioned above is $500 direct from JVC.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Hmmm again.... my last post just crossed in the mail. I’m convinced I’d like to take advantage of your collective experience and target JVC.

After seeing the online offerings and knowing I have 6-8 months before anticipated completion, I’m sure the the right combo price of used JVC and new OEM replacement bulb will come along.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

In that well known voice, I have to say: "Soo-prize, soo-prize, soo-prize!" I've been so busy with other aspects of my new room that I forgot this thread was here—I’ve been posting over in this thread by mistake.

I’m hoping to get the content from Post #12 onward moved here where it fits the topic.

EDIT (18JL19): Done! Thanks so much, @Todd Anderson

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hmmm.... the OEM replacement bulb for the RS45 mentioned above is $500 direct from JVC.

Shop around at the reputable distributors...

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Thanks for being kind. I should’ve known better, given that I have some personal experience with replacement parts. I just wasn’t thinking. My recent new-room planning frenzy has me spread a little thin, so many of my recent posts include knee-jerk reactions!

No preaching to the choir here about the benefits of a JVC projector. I’m quickly learning about their value, technology, and features. The Motorized Lens Offsets and the Lens Memory Function sound like my favorite so far.

They’re so flexible! The Constant Image Height feature helps end the battle between a 2.35 CinemaScope and a 1.78 HD screen. And that’s not to mention JVC picture quality. Everyone everywhere applauds their performance.

And there’s another plus side to buying used. Since I’ve never owned a projector before, I’ll be saving money while learning what’s to like or not. So even at $500 - $900 for a used RS45 or RS46 (and another $500 maximum for a replacement bulb), you’ve all helped lead me to top-shelf solutions that used to cost $3k - $4k!

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

After seeing the online offerings and knowing I have 6-8 months before anticipated completion, I’m sure the the right combo price of used JVC and new OEM replacement bulb will come along.

But on second thought, the offerings may dry up just when I need them. I’ll start shopping in earnest after another week or two when my budgeted funds become available.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

thrillcat pursuaded me to alter my plans for a drop-down screen in favor of an open-concept, false front wall.

Huh?

It just means that the wall won’t span the width of the room, so image-smearing reflections shouldn’t be as much of a hindrance to good sound. The screen would still be surrounded by a conventional frame, but that frame would be mounted to a fixed wall only as wide as needed to properly mount the frame.

Very high-quality AT material is available from Seymour AV for DIY projects. It’s the same material they use to outfit mixing studios and supply trade show vendors. A 100” x 84” size for a 100” diag screen would run less than $250! Another $100 for lumber and tools makes this solution a very attractive one.

Adopting this design would save about $1500, which would allow me to expand my subwoofer budget between $2k - $2.5k and keep my $1k phono cartridge upgrade.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

^^^
My people skills are on par with that guy in the movie Office Space. I hope I didn’t throw thrillcat under the bus in any way.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Uh oh.
There’s something wrong with this picture.

I forgot about wanting to hang my plasma on the front wall for casual viewing. Bringing a fixed screen into the equation seems to have muddied the waters again.

Now it looks like I’ll be spending a bit of time setting priorities.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

Forgive my layman’s terminology, but could a ceiling-hinge system be rigged up that would allow the screen & frame to be raised from vertical on the floor to horizontal on the ceiling.

If so, then the TV could be mounted somewhere on the front wall to clear center channel line of sight. But as I write that, I realize there’ll be more obstacles than that considering the wall construction.

Even so, I see two issues off the bat:

1. Nothing could be located in the path of the frame’s swing, and
2. The projector might need to be located further from the screen than optimal.

 

[1_sufferin_mind]

If the TV turns out to be important enough to me, I could still get the expensive drop-down. Then, instead of reducing the budget for a targeted upgrade, I could save the difference (or more).