Panasonic 900 and 2:35:1

[cburbs]

What would be needed with a Panasonic 900 FP to go to 2:35:1?

Right now I have a 16:9 92" diag screen.

Thanks,

Chad

[Prof.]

Chad,

I don't think the Panasonic has vertical stretch, so you will need a DVD player that has that facility(upscaled SD only) or an external scaler if you're looking at HD..

As far as the lens goes, you can either buy a commercial lens, such as the Panamorph U380 (a very popular choice) or the much cheaper Aussiemorphic Mk.11, or make up your own..
The choice is yours..and will depend on your budget..

The size of a 2.37:1 scope screen will depend on your room size, seating position and throw ratio..You need to try and have a TR of somewhere between 1.5 and 2 to minimize pincushion effect..

[cburbs]

Do you know what dvd players do VS? I have an oppo 981 which will do zooming is this the same thing?

What is the pincushion effect?

[cburbs]

Found answer to pincushion - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1003328

Also I found out the Panny 900 - The Panny 900 has a mode called "zoom1" which will provide the needed "scaling" when fed a 16:9 enhanced source..Only over component though I believe.

Is this the same zoom as my Oppo 981?

[Prof.]

Vertical stretch facility on equipment can be shown in various ways...
Letter-box zoom, 4:3 zoom, zoom1, and EZ-View are the sort of choices..depending on the type of equipment..
Upscaling Oppo players usually have a VS facility..

Best to try different settings until you are able to stretch a 2.35:1 DVD, so that the figures look tall and skinny..Then the lens will stretch the image 33% wider to restore geometry..

[Mark Techer]

Zoom 1 does work for SD, but does Zoom 1 work on HD for the 900?

Mark

[cburbs]

Here is what it says in the manual - Also zoom2 * is for 2:35:1 letterbox signals it mentions...

[Prof.]

chad...I just found this extract from a post on another forum..I think you might find it interesting..

I went with a used 720p projector (Panasonic AE-900) and it looks really good in my setup. This is a great way to start out, especially if your budget is running low, or you want the most "bang for your buck". With HD sources my picture quality is excellent. I will get a 1080p projector some day, but with my current system performance I'm in no hurry. The longer I wait, the cheaper the 1080p projectors are getting.

I am using a 2:37 ratio, 126" diagonal SeymourAV AT screen that I built myself. I am also using an anamorphic lens (Prismasonic) CIH screen setup. SeymourAV has an excellent AT screen, and also will give you the best "bang for your buck". They make AT electric screens, and also offer DIY fixed frame screen kits that are the lowest cost option of all.

[cburbs]

Yes I emailed him with the following response:

I actually just upgraded to a 1080p projector, a Sony VW40, but I was really pleased with my 2.35 Panasonic 900 setup. My setup was pretty simple, I shelf mounted my Prismasonic pass through lens in front of the 900, and used my Anthem D2 processor to stretch the video image vertically. I am shooting about 13' to a 126" diagonal 2.35 screen, which works out to 100" diagonal when I am in 16:9 mode. I love my 2.35 CIH setup, and won't go back. It seems that most of the Blu-ray and HD-DVD flicks are in the 2.35 format, so I think it's a must if you watch more movies than TV. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Of course check out the 2.35 section of the AVS forum if you have not already.


Another option is just doing a masking system with my current 16:9 screen similiiar to this:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008446

[Prof.]

cburbs wrote:

Another option is just doing a masking system with my current 16:9 screen similiiar to this:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1008446

Some people are doing this with 1080p set ups, but in reality you are still stretching the pixels in both directions when you zoom the image, so there has to been some loss of definition..even if it's not that noticeable..

I heard of a case recently where someone did a side be side test of zooming the 1080p image, and then using an anamorphic lens..The difference was able to be observed as a better quality image when using the lens method...

For me personally..I'd rather not have to mess around with masking, when I can get a better image with the lens..

[Tariq745]

Some people making their own lense to strech. I will try to find that step by step instruction or you can search for it on the web.

[Mark Techer]

The DIY Anamorphic Lens thread can be found HERE...

Mark