[ Scene from a projector movie night on the water in Richardson, TX ]

There’s a traditional home theater – the kind that looks like a ‘real’ Cineplex down to the popcorn maker. And then there’s progressive home theater. These are the theaters that have been created in random spaces by creative video enthusiasts who take their projector with them everywhere – like a Hollywood starlet carries her Chihuahua – to the backyard, in the middle of the living room, in the basement next to the pool table, and we recently learned — even on the water.

Progressive projector enthusiast, Mike Wilkinson, has taken his business projector into the family, and onto the boat with him. He and some friends watch horror movies, sailing themed movies, and whatever else strikes their fancy – out on the water.

We have pictures to share, and we did a short email interview with Mike to share his unique use of projection. Interview and pictures below :

PP:

What part of the country do you hail from?

MW:

Richardson, Texas (Dallas suburb)

PP:

How did you come up with the idea to project on a sail?

MW:

One of our fellow sailors in our yacht club (Lavon Yacht Club) is our Cruising Commodore. He came up with the idea of “Movie Night Raft Up”

PP:

What body of water do you project on?

MW:

Lake Lavon (Northwest Dallas near Plano)

PP:

How long is the sail watching season in Richardson, TX?

MW:

We can sail almost year around. As far as rafting up, we usually do that between April and November.

PP:

What kind of ship are you sailing? How large is your screen/sail?

MW:

I have a Hunter 36 (36 foot Sloop). The name is “Hiding Out” We use my boat as the projector and seating since I have a diesel generator to power the projector, microwave, etc. We have been using another boat (Catalina 30) for the projection screen. His main sail is new and crisp like a projector screen. Everyone else ties their boats up to one side or the other of us.

PP:

How does the picture look, and what do you use for sound on the water?

MW:

The picture looks good. The screen moves a little with the wind so the picture gets distorted a little bit if it is windy. We are going to try a bigger boom box in the future. This has been the weak point thus far.

PP:

What are your favorite films to show?

MW:

The club favorites are Wind and Captain Ron! But, any sailing, water, or water horror picture is great!

PP:

Have you ever become sea sick from watching a movie on the water?

MW:

We do this activity in a cove so the boats don’t rock too much. ” Actually, I have never been seasick. I have raced in Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf. I am lucky that my body actually gets tired and wants to go to sleep when I am in a car, plane, or boat.

PP:

What do you do with your projector the rest of the year?

MW:

The projector is actually property of my company “Paragon Innovations, Inc.” It is our portable projector to take with us on sales calls, etc.

PP:

What… is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

MW:

Well it depends if it is an African or European swallow

PP:

Any other tips you’d like to share with a would-be movie projecting sailor?

MW:

You can use a small portable generator (like the Honda EU2000) for power if the boat doesn’t have AC power. Make sure the sound can be louder than you think. In the open, sound doesn’t get to bounce off of the living room walls. Also, movies tend to have lower audio levels than music CDs, etc. The lighter the wind, the better in terms of swaying. The bigger the more stable the boats the better.

PP:

Have any photos from the boat?

MW:

Sure!

Photos of Projector Movie Night

[ Sail. Check. Screen. Already checked. Projector. Check. Comfy seating. Check. ]

[ A scary movie on the water. ]

[ Overboard viewed on the sail if a boat in Richardson, TX. "Catarina! Aurturo!"]

For much of the country, it’s a bit too late in the year to start projecting out on the water. But those of us in the south, it’s still in season. Either way, we can all agree that this is an idea whose time has come.

[ Find your own projector for business and/or pleasure ]

We need to start this article with a caveat. Typically we don’t do head-to-head video comparisons like we are doing here, for multiple reasons. For example, the camera used to shoot the demo may impact the image in a way that that does not match our experience in person. If the recording camera locks in on one image, it can make a brighter projector look dimmer than a dimmer projector, or it can give the appearance of improved contrast when it does not appear that way in person. That said, we still wanted to provide video that would help users determine if the new 1080p true HD $999 projectors or the current best selling projectors are a better fit for their needs. So, below is an atypical video head-to-head comparison of the new Optoma HD20 projector and the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB projector which is meant to provide a broader overview of the two categories of home theater projection – new entry level DLP, and high end LCD. Please Note : You will see some artifacts from the compression of the video that are not caused by either projector. Particularly when our narrator passes in front of the screen, or when the image is moving quickly. These artifcats were not present before compression. If you are interested in a higher quality version of this video, leave a comment below.

Quick Video Log

0:08 – 1:50 : Product overviews / specification comparison Product manager Rodney Laney goes over the basics, from lumens and contrast to features of these two units.

1:53 – 2:25 : Contrast comparison Note the more visible gray on the ‘black bars’ and in the space scene in the projector on the left. This is to be expected since the projector on the right has a significantly higher contrast ratio. The difference was a bit more obvious in person.

2:30 – 3:30 : Zoom lenses compared No surprise here, there is very little zoom on the Optoma, and a nice 2x zoom on the Epson. Most of our high end projectors feature either manual, or power 2x zoom.

3:32 – 4:20 : Lens shift demonstrated No surprise here either, there is no lens shift on the new entry level DLP projectors. This helps keep the chassis smaller and the cost down, but it also makes installation more challenging. If you plan to use your projector in multiple locations, lens shift and zoom can save a lot of frustration.

4:20 – 5:01 : 60hz vs. 120hz The most dramatic difference between the two images was due to the video processing capabilities. The 120hz Epson simply out performs for video quality (as does the Panasonic PT-AE3000U and Sanyo PLV-Z3000). The video, upon close inspection, can pick up the difference in clarity. But in person it is dramatic. It is as if the actors are being filmed on stage. They appear to be live in front of you. It’s almost holideck-ish! Some also describe it as a 3-D quality.

So What’s the Word?

If you are looking to step up to 1080p home theater projector but have a limited budget, $999 will get you a true HD 1080p 300-inch image, with very good black levels, more portability, and a somewhat minimal feature set. If you are looking to upgrade to true HD with a crisp – almost stage like – image, more installation flexibility with 2x zoom and lens shift, then the high end LCD home theater projectors will be the way to go. High End LCD Home Theater Projectors * Prices may change, please click through for current pricing and rebates.

• Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB ($2599 after current $400 rebate with free lamp)
• Panasonic PT-AE3000U ($2599 plus free 2-year warranty rebate)
• Sanyo PLV-Z3000($2395 after $200 rebate)

New Entry Level DLP Projectors

• Vivitek H1080FD ($999)
• BenQ W1000 ($999)
• Optoma HD20 ($999)

If you have more questions about the differences between these products, pricing questions, or any other projector related needs, leave a comment, send an email to webmaster(at)projectorpeople.com, or gives us a call at 1-888-248-0675. Thanks for reading!

[ This is a repost of our August 2009 Projector People Post Home Theater Newsletter ]

Newly announced $999 True HD 1080p projectors are the latest buzz in the projection world. These cheaper entry level 1080p projectors are stirring up questions. Most commonly, questions about their level of performance versus the current best selling 1080p projectors. We will do a more thorough investigation later, once we have all three models in stock to compare. We should have inventory on $999 models from BenQ, Optoma, and Vivitek in stock and ready to ship by the end of September. But here is a quick look at the new products to help answer a few questions we’ve heard floating about.

[ Photo : Image from the Optoma HD20 in action. More photos here. ]

Head to Head : Entry Level 1080p versus High End 1080p

Our current best sellers – the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, and the Sanyo PLV-Z3000 – all come with advanced features the new $999 projectors don’t have (lens shift and zoom lensing to name two). There are also some serious spec advantages like significantly higher contrast ratio and 120hz frame rates in particular. So, here is a quick look at what we currently have to go on for our head-to-head comparison based on the published manufacturer specifications. To make things easier, let’s use the (first to ship) Optoma HD20 and the Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB. You can compare more specs and up to three projectors using our projector comparison tool.

Basic Specs Compared

Projector	Epson HC 6500 UB ($2599*)	Optoma HD20 ($999)	Vivitek H1080FD ($999)
Contrast	75000:1	4000:1	5000:1
Technology	3LCD	DLP single chip	DLP single chip
Brightness	1600 lumens	1700 lumens	1800 lumens
Connectivity	2 HDMI, 1 component video, (S-video)	2 HDMI, 1 component video, (no S-video)	2 HDMI, 1 component video, (S-video)
Weight	22 lbs.	6.4 lbs.	5.7 lbs.

Advanced Features Compared

Projector	Epson HC 6500 UB ($2599*)	Optoma HD20 ($999)	Vivitek H1080FD ($999)
Lens shift	Yes	No	No
Zoom lens	2x zoom	1.2x	n/a
Frame Rate	120 Hz	60 Hz	60 Hz
Warranty	2 year and 90 day lamp	1 year and 90 day lamp	1 year and 90 day lamp
Lamp replacement cost	$299 (subject to change)	$249 (subject to change)	n/a
12v screen trigger	Yes	Yes	Yes

* The Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB is currently $2599 and includes a free replacement lamp with purchase.

So, while there are distinct advantages to the higher end home cinema projectors, the new $999 units are a new breed of 1080p product that opens up true HD to a new level of affordability. All you need to do is determine which product fits your budget and will give you all you want for your investment.

Expected Ship Dates for New $999 Projectors

The dates may change, but here’s a the latest on when we expect to receive our first/next shipment* of three new sub-$1000 1080ps.

• Vivitek H1080FD – Early September, 2009
• BenQ W1000 – Mid-Late September, 2009
• Optoma HD20 – Late September, 2009 (sold through first shipment)

* Dates subject to change, but this is our best currently available information on the new projectors.

The Epson Home Cinema 6500 UB, Panasonic PT-AE3000U, and Sanyo PLV-Z3000 are all currently in stock and ready to ship. Click to see all our HDTV 1080p projectors. Call for details!

We’ve been getting lots of questions about when the new $999 projectors will be in stock here at ProjectorPeople.com. Here’s a very quick review of when we expect to receive our first/next shipment* of three new sub-$1000 1080ps from BenQ, Optoma, and Vivitek. (Updated October 5th, 2009)

• BenQ W10000 – Late October, 2009
• Optoma HD20 – Now in stock! (click to check inventory)
• Vivitek H1080FD – October 15th, 2009

* Dates subject to change, but this is our best currently available information on the new projectors.

You can check out our complete selection of 1080p Projectors here.

[ Reprint of our Home Theater Projector People Post newsletter Tech News Post last month ]

Hey sports fans! Have you ever dreamed of projecting outdoors in broad daylight? Have you fantasized of watching your Sunday afternoon football outside while you BBQ, watching your favorite team on the giant screen? If you are anything like the vast majority of our home theater customers, you have. And now, because of the Black Diamond screen material from SI Screens, you are closer to your dream than ever before. Read on for photos and video, and more.

Dress Your Home Theater in Black

More than just improving your image in daylight, new Black Diamond II screens also improve black levels in any home theater with ambient light. In fact, SI Screens reports improvements in contrast ratios of 300% or more, and there is photographic evidence to prove it. I know, I know, you have seen these images before. But, this image reflects the quality we saw in person. Check out our training video below if you don’t believe it.

Essentially, the Black Diamond screen filters reflected light from the screen, bouncing back only the light coming from the projector and not the ambient light from other angles. White screens were designed to help improve the brightness of a projector by sending as much light as possible back to the viewer. But, now that projectors can pump out more lumens, the white screens can actually reflect too much light, scattering it around the space. As a result, there can be distracting reflections in your room. That extra ambient light can also reduce the contrast of your image. In a :30 second video here you can clearly see how the light on the ceiling disappears as the Black Diamond screen is lowered over the white screen.

Black Diamond Screens Versus Plasma and LCD TVs

Is an image on a Black Diamond II screen comparable to the image on a plasma or LCD TV? There has been no independent research done on this yet, but what we saw in our demonstration this week (see video below) was very impressive. At the very least, Black Diamond screens have helped to level the playing field in big screen technology. And if you compare the cost of a projector and Black Diamond II fixed frame screen to that of a 80, 92, 100, or up to 113-inch plasma or LCD TV, you are looking at thousands of dollars in savings.

Big Screen Prices Compared

• Plasma : 82-inch $29,999*
• LCD TV : 82-inch $49,999*
• LED TV : 46-inch $3,199**
• Black Diamond Screen and $2500 1080p Projector : 80-inch screen $4699 (available now!)

* Not readily available over 65-inches in the consumer market. Estimates for LCD and plasma based on professional product prices.
** Limited availability. Not readily available in sizes larger than 46-inches.

As the word gets out about the image quality from the Black Diamond screens, it’s reasonable to expect that a review site like Projector Central or Projector Reviews will put them to the test against a flat screen TV, but it hasn’t happened yet.

SI Screens Discuss Black Diamond Technology from Projector People on Vimeo.

[ click here for alt link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZkpi28bMOw ]

Brighter Images In Ambient Light

The Black Diamond is not only a great new technology for home theater, but it can also be just what the doctor ordered in bright office spaces, church sanctuaries, and lights on classrooms. Currently there are no motorized Black Diamond screens available, but SI Screens has them in development and hopes to have the right solution soon. But in rooms where a fixed screen will do the trick, a Black Diamond screen allows for lights on presenting in nearly any setting.

Quick Tip : If there is a window directly behind your projector it will impact the image you see because the screen will pick up the ambient light as well. In just about any other orientation, it will work its magic.

Exclusive Online Dealer for SI Screens

Projector People is the exclusive online dealer for SI Screens including Black Diamond Reference screens, and the full line of motorized and fixed frame screens. We offer full support of the products before and after the sale. Read more about our full line of SI Screens

Read more about Black Diamond II screens on our blog post from last week.

As always, if you have any questions about projectors, screens, and accessories. Call a Projector Expert today! 1-888-248-0675.