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Projectors

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Projectors

Unread postby icycalm » 29 Nov 2009 23:45

I've had a Sony 720p projector for two-three years now (though due to my constant moving around it's only seen about three-four months of use...), and after recently conducting a brief survey of the world of display technologies, I am still convinced that it is by far the best single solution for PS3 and 360.

What's more, the good news is that the prices of these things have been falling quite steadily all this time. My projector had cost me around €1,200, whilst nowadays comparable products seem to go for around €700. Here's an example:

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http://tv-video.fnac.com/a2752858/Video ... ?PID=63788 (€699)


And a really cheap by Acer for €529.

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http://tv-video.fnac.com/a2652284/Video ... ?PID=63788


Meanwhile, it seems that 1080p projectors have begun appearing... Perhaps they existed even in 2007, when I bought my 720p one, but in any case if they did they must have been exorbitantly expensive, whilst now they go for about as much as I had spent then. Here's one by Epson for €1,199:

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http://tv-video.fnac.com/a2750069/Video ... ?PID=63790


It goes without saying that 1080p projectors are not really for console gaming yet (with the exception of five or six games...) -- they are exclusively for high-end PC gaming. So I am not really in a hurry to get one yet. After I manage to put my new PC together, though, I'll start thinking about it.
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Unread postby icycalm » 29 Nov 2009 23:54

Here's a list of prices (in France) for 1080p projectors:

http://tv-video.fnac.com/sh63790/Videop ... 0p-Full-HD

They range from €1,199, for the Epson one I mentioned above, to €3,999.
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Unread postby icycalm » 07 Aug 2021 13:19

BENQ TK700STI 4K SMART GAMING PROJECTOR REVIEW
https://www.projectorreviews.com/benq/b ... or-review/

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The BenQ TK700STi is the world’s first 4K HDR Gaming Projector with an input lag of 16ms at 4K/60p.

Yes, my friends, my review of portable all-in-one projectors continues. Today, I bring you the BenQ TK700STi. BenQ proudly states the TK700STi is the “World’s First 4K HDR Gaming Projector; 4K @ 60Hz” and “Game with 16ms Lowest Input Lag Ever Paired with 4K Resolution.” In addition, it should be noted that this gaming projector comes with unique game modes for FPS (First-Person Shooting), RPG (Role-Playing Game), and SPG (Sports Game) gaming modes with audio, visual, and optimized latency settings for each type of game.

For this review, I was given access to an early model BenQ TK700STi. The TK700STi is a short-throw projector with a small rectangular shape. As a result, the projector took up only a small amount of space. The TK700STi has white plastic chassis with the front sporting a very cool-looking grey face.

The $1,699 price tag makes the TK700STi perfect for the gaming enthusiast and anyone else who wants an all-in-one portable, full HD 3D ready smart projector which requires only a flat viewing surface or projector screen and a power outlet to get the entertainment started with audio provided by its built-in 5-watt speaker.

The BenQ TK700STi uses a single Texas Instruments (TI) DLP (.47″ DMD) chipset to deliver 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution. While a DLP chip does not have 8.3 million mirrors, it can deliver a perceived resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160).

The DLP chip inside the TK700STi uses a technology called pixel-shifting. DLP XPR technology leverages the immense speed of the DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) to process pixels faster than the rate of the video signal. This speed is how DLP can utilize one imaging chip to create multiple colors and multiple pixel locations.

So while the newest 0.47″ DMD chips only have about 2.1 million mirrors, they can deliver 8.3 million pixels of onscreen resolution. As we have discussed in the past, this system works so well that it would be difficult for a viewer to see a difference in resolution when compared to a native 4K UHD (8.3 megapixels) display.

The CTA (Consumers Technology Association) states that 4K UHD must produce 8.3 million distinct pixels on the screen, which is four times the resolution of Full HD 1080p. DLP True 4K UHD Technology is Texas Instruments’ pixel-shifting technology that assists projectors in achieving true 4K resolution on-screen with 8.3 million distinct pixels.


So it’s not quite true 4K. Still sounds sweet though, and the price is decent.
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Unread postby icycalm » 08 Nov 2021 10:23

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Amazon.de finally shipped the 4K 16 ms projector to me ("beamer" is German for projector). It took them TWO WEEKS to ship, during which time I tried to cancel the order twice because I got bored waiting. But they wouldn't let me cancel because they had already set in motion the wheels of their two-week shipping process lol. Amazon isn't what it used to be, and this is Amazon Germany that's supposed to be the most efficient in Europe. At least they shipped via UPS so I should have the thing this week if it doesn't get stuck in customs.

So hopefully I'll be playing 150-inch 4K They Are Billions before the end of week. Maybe even Age of Empires IV if others are up for it. We were supposed to get into this day 1 but I guess Beak's lukewarm impressions dissuaded us? It should still be fun in large MP games.

And OMG 150-inch 4K PA should breathe new life into the game for me. You better believe I am going back to Ranked. So many possibilities.

I've basically been waiting for the projector to get back into gaming while recharging my batteries with sports and pick-up. My return will be epic. I bought a 4K webcam and tripod with lighting to stream from behind me while I play. Hopefully it will work well. Nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. Around 200 euros for the best in the market. And if it doesn't work well, I have more tricks up my sleeve to reveal in detail later.


P.S. I might have gotten the projector for free, because after ten days passed my bank released the 1,000 euros that Amazon had preauthorized, and since I now have my card temporarily blocked (long story) Amazon couldn't have charged this order at shipping time as they normally do. I see no charge for this projector at all in my bank account...
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby icycalm » 10 Nov 2021 15:19

150 inches never weighed so little. It’s about the same size and weight as a laptop.

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Got it for entirely free, if you can believe it. I’ll post details on Patreon.

Now if this Covid will clear up I can set up my new desk.
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby ChevRage » 25 Dec 2021 12:53

My current setup:

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The display is about 4 meters from corner to corner. The projector itself is the Optoma UHD50X 4K UHD Gaming Projector, and as far as I can tell it's pretty similar in specs with the one icy got. Except for one thing. It isn't short-throw, so it's sitting about 6 meters away from the wall. It's going to be a nightmare trying to find a place with a suitable room for it if I ever move out of this place.

A thing to note with this projector is that the HDR function looks like shit for some reason. All the colours look washed out. No idea why anybody would want to use it.

And yeah, lots of stuff missing here from what I'd call an optimal set-up. Wireless M&K, the floor lounge couch thingy doesn't support my Buttkicker, I have to be quite low to the ground in order to not block the projection, only one projector, etc. etc.
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby icycalm » 25 Dec 2021 13:33

Incredible setup. Just a quick correction: Don’t use wireless anything. Wireless is casual gaming stuff, I’d have even my cellphone wired if I could. I mean, use wireless if you want, it’s certainly convenient (at least while it’s working), but don’t make it sound as if it’s the perfectionist option while it’s the complete opposite.

And when making posts like this you gotta mention prices. It’s not about showing off, it’s the first thing people want to know when they wonder if they can copy your setup. So first off save them the effort of googling it, and second off every spec and benefit of the setup has to be weighed and judged in the light of its price: if your setup cost a million dollars, practically no one would care to even read about it, while if it cost 100 bucks people would be retarded not to order it asap.

They aren’t judging the quality of the hardware based on the price, they’re judging its suitability for an upgrade for themselves compared to competing hardware they could be buying.
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby icycalm » 25 Dec 2021 13:36

You gotta stream yourself playing btw. That’s how you convince people with low imagination who are still playing on Game Boy Color screens (anything less than 42”) or prison-slit screens (ultrawide).
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby ChevRage » 25 Dec 2021 17:29

Oh yeah shit lol, I didn't mean to suggest that I wanted a wireless M&K; it's what I'm using at the moment for convenience's sake. I worded that really poorly. I'll be upgrading to a wired M&K eventually.

The price of the projector was about $1660 USD converted from AUD, and the seat was about $85. The wireless M&K I'm using is the Logitech MK345, and cost about $55. It's relatively reliable, but very rarely (like once a week) it'll drop out for a second or two given the distance to my PC (around 3 to 4 meters). I have a wired Xbox One controller that I use for most games. I had to get a couple of extension cables for both my headphones and mic too.

Every time I stop playing games it kinda feels like I'm Neo awakening from the Matrix for the first time and having to fiddle around with all these cables lol. Minus the slime of course.

In summary:

Optoma UHD50X 4K UHD Gaming Projector - $1660
Adjustable Lounge Sofa Chair - $85
Logitech MK345 - $55
Mic and headphone extension cables - $15

Probably the biggest concern though is that you need a huge white wall to project on, the projector itself should have some colour correction options in case the wall is slightly off-white but depending on the severity of the off-whiteness it could still fuck with the colour spectrum displayed. If you own the place you could always repaint the wall to a spotless white, and if you're renting or have bricks or something in the most suitable location for a projector setup, you might want to consider a screen. The best screens can get as expensive as the projector itself, and they're never going to be as large as you can possibly make the display, so they should almost always be a last resort.

There are some cool screens around though, if I could get one I'd probably go for this:

The Ultimate Screen | Electric Floor Rising VIVIDSTORM ALR Rollable Projector Screen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNC7Ziq7lzQ
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby Robomoo » 21 Feb 2022 19:55

Got this just in time for Elden Ring:

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Optoma UHD38 4K Projector €941.73
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/UHD38-DLP-40 ... 08XDKHYHB/

It was €100 more expensive when I bought it, and then they lowered it. It's a slightly worse version of the UHD50 that Chev got. It's 4K, but I think it's not "true" 4K as they use some kind of pseudo-upscaling technology called pixel-shifting. But whatever, it was a pretty good price for how huge it is and it looks incredible to me compared to the shitty 24-inch monitors I've been playing on for the last several months. I tried running around in Hunt briefly and the input doesn't seem slow at all which is the main thing I've seen people complain about when gaming on projectors.

I haven't quite figured out the seating arrangements yet, I think I'll need to get one of those sofa-chair things that Chev posted. I expect I'll have some more detailed impressions to post once I've actually played some games with it.
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Re: Projectors

Unread postby Robomoo » 26 Feb 2022 05:26

Here's another projector picture from Elden Ring:

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My phone camera can't really do it justice. It's pretty incredible playing in 4K at this size.
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