Vidikron Projection Television 40 HT User Manual

G E A R G U I D E  
Vidikron Vision Model 40  
The connectivity suite, which  
is located on the projector’s rear  
panel, is fairly comprehensive.  
You get one 480i-only component  
video input with RCA connections,  
plus a set of RGB inputs with H  
and V sync; if you use only the R,  
G, and B inputs, this connection  
doubles as a high-bandwidth com-  
ponent video input that’s capable  
of displaying 480i/p, 720p, and  
1080i sources. Of course, the oblig-  
atory composite and S-video inputs  
are also here (one of each), as well  
as a DVI input with HDCP copy  
protection for use with the new  
crop of satellite and cable HDTV  
receivers. Finally, Vidikron pro-  
vides an RS-232 port for integrated  
control systems like the above-  
mentioned Crestron and AMX  
touchpanel systems.  
DLP Projector  
detection for film-based material,  
Possibly the best value in high-resolution  
one-chip DLP projectors.  
good color decoding, and a nice  
features package. It’s also competi-  
tively priced and, as such, is an  
excellent value in its category.  
The Model 40 has a compact,  
squarish design with a white finish.  
It measures 4.75 inches high by  
15.75 wide by 13.625 deep and  
weighs a reasonable 15 pounds.  
The unit has a very solid feel,  
which indicates good build quality.  
The lens is offset slightly from the  
center of the pro-  
by Kevin Miller  
DLP projectors have become all the  
rage in the front-projection home  
theater arena, thanks in large part  
to the 1,280-by-720 chips that hit  
the market a little over two years  
ago. These chips raised the bar in  
jector. Some of  
the remote’s most  
commonly used  
buttons are also on  
the top of the unit,  
such as power,  
menu, input, enter,  
The Model 40 has few, if any,  
consumer-type features, but that’s  
to be expected with any front pro-  
jector. However, it does offer a  
few notable picture-enhancing  
features, including a nine-point  
system for calibrating  
A
exit, and the arrow keys  
for navigation within the menu  
the gray scale that  
picture quality for  
affordable high-end front pro-  
jection. Vidikron, a front-projection  
gives the professional  
installer and/or video  
technician unprece-  
B
A. The Model 40 has  
a 1,280-by-720 reso-  
lution and utilizes  
the HD2 chip.  
home theater pioneer, was recently  
purchased by Runco International  
and has launched a new line of  
DLP projectors.  
The company’s Vision Model 40  
is a one-chip DLP projector with  
dented flexibility in  
this important setup  
system. Heat is vented through  
the front of the projector, and  
there’s virtually no light leakage  
from the lamp.  
area. You also can set the gray  
scale and all other picture parame-  
ters for each input separately. A  
total of 21 separate memory loca-  
tions gives you more flexibility  
than you’re likely to ever need in  
terms of optimizing the picture for  
all video and computer sources.  
For added versatility, you can  
choose either a short-throw lens  
(1.38:1 to 1.63:1), or, for an addi-  
tional $1,000, you can opt for the  
long-throw lens (1.83:1 to 2.40:1).  
B. Take your pick of  
connection options,  
including a DVI input a native resolution of 1,280 by  
with HDCP.  
The remote control, while not  
backlit, is fully illuminated by glow-  
in-the-dark buttons. The remote  
does offer discrete access to all of  
the projector’s inputs, aspect ratios,  
and memories, which is very  
important to a custom installer  
who’s trying to integrate these  
functions into a Crestron or AMX  
touchpanel control system.  
720, and it’s based on the second-  
generation HD2 (or Mustang)  
DMD chip. Compared with the  
first-generation chip, this one defi-  
nitely delivers better black-level  
performance and a higher con-  
trast ratio. The Model 40 has solid  
video processing with 3:2-pulldown  
110 Home Theater / November 2003  
 
G E A R G U I D E  
Vidikron Vision Model 40 DLP Projector  
light-output and contrast-ratio  
that the Model 40 is capable of  
950 ANSI lumens and has a con-  
trast ratio of 1,600:1. Since Vidikron  
is now owned by Runco, they’ve  
adopted Runco’s Cinema Standards  
Measurement System (CSMS)  
specification standards, which are  
more realistic in terms of light-  
output and contrast-ratio ratings.  
In film, we measure  
numbers. When you measure  
these two specifications in an  
actual home theater environment,  
it becomes crystal clear that virtu-  
ally all of these published specifi-  
cations are totally bogus.  
In particular, I watched Armed  
and Dangerous on the HBO HD  
channel and Harlan County War  
on Showtime HD. I fired up my  
reference Runco DTV-991 for a  
quick comparison, and I found  
the material to look quite clean  
through this CRT projector. Unfor-  
tunately, I was unable to evaluate  
the Model 40’s HDTV performance  
using its DVI input. However, I’ve  
had enough experience in the field  
calibrating digital displays using  
both the component video and  
the DVI inputs, and I don’t doubt  
that the DVI input looks a lot  
cleaner than an analog component  
connection on a digital display. I  
suspect that HD material would  
have looked a lot better using the  
Model 40’s DVI connection.  
After I’d completed a full ISF-  
style calibration for both NTSC  
and HDTV sources, I sat back  
and watched a variety of DVDs  
and HDTV material. Chapter 31  
of Charlotte Gray, still one of my  
favorite reference DVDs, had great  
snap and detail, plus very good  
color saturation. In the beginning  
of this chapter, a train travels  
through the French countryside,  
and there was some visible low-  
level noise. This noise was more  
prevalent in darker scenes, such as  
the love scene between Charlotte  
and the young British officer in  
chapter 4. In fairness to Vidikron,  
I’ve seen this low-level noise on  
virtually every one-chip DLP pro-  
jector, and I attribute it at least in  
part to DLP technology. Part of  
the problem could also be in the  
video processing.  
Chapter 4 of Training Day looked  
excellent. Denzel Washington’s  
black car looked really black, which  
is a testament to the Model 40’s  
excellent black-level performance.  
DLP still can’t do black like a CRT,  
and it probably never will. How-  
ever, the new HD2 chip takes DLP  
performance to another level. I  
dare say it takes DLP to an accept-  
able level for 99.9 percent of home  
theater enthusiasts.  
HIGHLIGHTS  
light in foot-lamberts, so  
• Good video processing with  
3:2-pulldown detection for  
film-based material  
Runco has decided to  
include foot-lambert  
measurements in their  
specifications, as well as  
real-world ANSI-lumen  
specifications after  
• Excellent flexibility for setup  
and optimizing picture quality  
for all sources  
• Great value for the dollar  
proper calibration. This  
is the first time I’ve ever  
reprinted even a portion of a man-  
ufacturer’s spec sheet, but it’s  
worth illustrating, as it represents  
real information that will aid in  
your home theater’s design. If you  
look closely at the spec sheet,  
you’ll see the CSMS specifications  
under “Light Output”: home theater  
calibration: 480 ANSI lumens;  
17.9 foot-lamberts (ft-L). Under  
“Contrast Ratio,” the CSMS spec is  
a much more realistic 148:1. The  
company takes it one step further  
by recommending a screen size  
between 72 and 96 inches wide,  
even though the projector can pro-  
ject images up to 200 inches wide.  
I have to hand it to Runco/Vidikron  
for taking this bold step. I’ve long  
been frustrated with video-display  
manufacturers’ marketing depart-  
ments for boasting ridiculous  
Vidikron looks strong again.  
Their Vision Model 40 is a very  
respectable player in the 1,280-by-  
720 one-chip DLP-projector cate-  
gory. Good video processing,  
black-level performance, and color  
Vision Model 40 DLP Projector $8,995  
With the Long-Throw Lens  
$9,995  
Vidikron  
(510) 324-5900  
Dealer Locator Code VID  
decoding all add up to excellent  
performance. There’s no doubt  
that the Model 40 does a lot right,  
and it’s a truly impressive DLP  
projector, especially when you  
consider its price. At $8,995 with  
the short-throw lens and $9,995  
with the long-throw lens, the  
Model 40 is one of the most rea-  
sonably priced DLP projectors in  
its class, making it one of the  
best values in its category.  
HDTV from my Dish  
Network satellite feed  
looked mostly awesome.  
Bright scenes looked  
Vidikron Vision Model 40 DLP Projector  
really good, but darker  
scenes were plagued by  
low-level-noise problems.  
114 Home Theater / November 2003  
 

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