HDTV connection problem.....

[asscore]

Hi guys... I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but here go's nothing

I have a sharp pg-c30xu projector.
According to sharp and the review at this page
http://videosystems.com/mag/video_projector_odyssey/
my projector is compliant with 720p/1080i.

The problem is my projector's only hd compatible connector is a 15 pin VGA (monitor type) connector.

The problem is my HDTV connector on my dvd player/cable box is HDMI

Is there any way possible to interconnect these devices?

Just to re-iterate there is no component input on my projector, just vga/svideo.

any help would be much appreciated.

[Richard]

Having RGBHV only puts you in a real bind since with analog we live in a component video world. The projector is native 4:3 and 1024X768, yet another compatibility problem and probably the most disconcerting.

You need a component to RGB convertor or transcoder. The cheapies are the Key Digitals for about $100-200 and the Audio Authorities for roughly the same or more. Many say they work just fine and some others disagree. For your application they will likely work fine but for more demanding applications an external scaler or the Extron transcoder would be preferred, think $1000 plus.

Depending on your needs replacing your HDTV receiver with one that supports RGBHV may be just as cost effective, $150-300.. Actually scrap that... you want your DVD in component too so the transcoder/scaler is the better route.

Once you do get the signal to the display you need to setup the receiver for a 4:3 display unless the display supports a 16:9 format option. Either way you are going to take a huge hit because the top and bottom of the picture will be either black or gray.

If you intend to replace your screen and projector in the next 2 years you could begin with building the infrastructure to support it by purchasing an external scaler such as the Lumagen, resolving all of your problems now and into the future.

[asscore]

Just wanted to reply with the info I got from sharp .....

The projector can decipher YPbPr video, so no transcoder is necessary.

They recommended a cable from RAM electronics. HD15 (vga) to component video.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/hdtv ... ml#hd15rgb

They said the projector should have no problem playing 480p, 720p, and 1080i. Of course I've had tech support give me bad information before, so we'll see when the cable gets here. I'll post an update when I find out incase anyone runs into the same problem as me.

by the way the projector has no problem doing 16:9 aspect ratios. Of course the native resolution of the projector is 1024x768 (max input resolution 1600x1200) so 1080i video would be downsampled. Not a huge deal.

[akirby]

The problem is since it's 1024x768 which doesn't match ANY of the HD scan rates, everything you feed it will be scaled one way or the other. It's not a question of whether it works, but rather how well it works (or doesn't). That's why Richard recommended the Lumagen. Of course you can easily try it first without the scaler and see how it looks.

[Richard]

Per the specs it is native 4:3. Many 4:3 displays can handle a 16:9 format but the damage is caused by the loss of pixels on the top and bottom. This comes out to about only 575 vertical pixels being applied to the image. This also reduces light output.

Whether or not you will perceive this as acceptable is another perspective and also perception. I am just applying the same imaging science to your question that a client would expect.

Definitely let us know how it turns out. The specs seem to indicate RGB only and I hope that was an error as your life will be much simpler with YPbPr inputs.

[asscore]

Thanks for the help richard... I really dont want to come across as being un-appreciative! You definately seem very knowledgeable.
I'm just not rolling in the dough so I'm seriously hoping I dont need a transcoder. I'm sure they make the picture look very nice though!
Being 25 and making 25k a year I feel really lucky I even have a projector!

Here are some quotes from the review I mentioned in my first post. They are somewhat re-assuring to me that this cable will do the job and scaling wont be a huge deal...

Finally, I fed each projector a variety of 480p, 720p, and 1080i DTV signals from a Panasonic TU-DST50/PV-HD1000 combination, and even pumped in some off-air DTV signals picked up by home-made antennas. Many of the projectors I test do not indicate compatibility with DTV signals in their operation manuals but support these formats.

Connecting DTV signals into these projectors is not always easy. On the three installation boxes, simply sending the signal to the BNC jacks gets the job done. On others, you need to connect DTV signals through the 15-pin VGA jacks, but watch out - not all of the projectors support DTV in YPbPr format. In fact, the DP6150 doesn't support DTV signals of any kind.

Only NEC's MT1050 and Sharp's PG-C30XU are truly format-agnostic with DTV signals. It made no difference whether I connected 480p, 720p, or 1080i as RGB or YPbPr; either projector just hummed along happily and quickly brought up a 16:9 letterboxed image with no need for assistance.

One thing that wasn't a surprise this year was the champ: Sharp. Out of 25 different fine-text test patterns from an Extron VTG-200, the PG-C30XU successfully locked up and centered 23 and required some adjustment to clean up the 24th. It finally met its match with a Sun 1280x1024 test signal. Not only did this projector lock 'em up, it did so fairly quickly for each signal tested.

[Richard]

Thanks for diggin through that... I started and my brain began to hurt so I punched up the specs and they seemed to agree with what you had said. It clearly sounds like you are covered.

The cable is called a VGA breakout cable. It does not convert anything and simply makes it easier for you to manually connect something to those teeny pins. They come in 3 or 5 wire assemblies depending on your application. RGB can be 3, 4 or 5 wires...

Hey man, Rome wasn't built in a day. Lots of us have cool stuff but I don't think many of us just showed up at a store one day and bought everything we currently have.

Build the infrastructure. Start at the display or end at the display. Invest in products that build towards your future, an HDMI or DVI connection. Lay that cable now. Preplan for your future 16:9 screen now as you setup this one then all you have to do is change out the screen and projector. 1-2 hours at most if you have the other end all setup for it.

Many of the best systems were built piece by piece

[asscore]

Hi I just wanted to post my update.

I recieved my cables, hooked up to the projector, told the projector to go to YPbPr mode, and it worked perfectly.

After a few weeks of viewing I can say 720p is by far the most impressive picture on my projector, from both my upsampling dvd player and my cable's hdtv.

Regular component looks pretty good as well. Altho not nearly as good as any 480p 1:85:1 dvd's upsampled to 720p
thanks for your help!

[Richard]

CCOL!