InFocus X-1 Projector Installation

[Richard King]

Well, I installed the InFocus X-1 over the weekend. I still have wires draped loose (not lose) across the room as I wait for adaptors and cables to run through the attic. Using my Dish signal (508), the pictue is FAR superior than what I had expected. I had really expected to see some problems with the DISH signal being blown up that large, but it looks just great, I suspect thanks to the upconvert and processing in the unit. My screen is 64"x48" (80" diagonal). Now, I have to program the Harmony remote to control the new hardware. I built a custom screen using materials recommended by the guys at AVSForums.com (about $50.00 total). I haven't painted it yet, but will probably do that next week. The screen is a sheet of Parkland Plastics (from Lowes) glued to a sheet of Masonite board. The screen is attached to the brick above my fireplace with velcro, which should make for an interesting time if I have to fire up the fireplace this winter, but this is Florida. :D I built a custom ceiling mount (about $30) by modifying ideas posted at the same site. I have a ceiling fan to move that is in the way of the upper left corner of the screen and need to run the new wire before the project is complete. I also have to relocate the center speaker and juggle some audio gear in my equipment rack. Once it's all done I'll post some pix.

[RichW]

We thank you for your patronage. You helped us make profitability this last quarter.

[dfergie]

Congrats Richard, I have the X1 in a small room and my screen size is about the same as yours. The infocus site has very affordable adapters :) I have a vesa to component hooked to a switch I found at Amazon (17$) so I can run my htpc thru it. Also have a composite switch (using as componet switch)hooked to my dvd and Replay. I had my 501 hooked to it and I thought the pq was much improved over my hd hitachi :) but now have my sd D*Hughes reciever hooked to. btw, I took it camping this weekend using a piece of 4'x4' styrofoam for screen. :)

[Richard King]

We thank you for your patronage. You helped us make profitability this last quarter.Anytime Rich. Do you work for them or have shares in the parent company?

I explained how I ended up with this earlier, but will run through it again here. I do a computer slide show for a charity event each year (a big brother/sister type organization). In the past the administrator of the charity has always had a projector loaned to them for the event and I simply hooked up my computer to their supplied projector. This year, when the event rolled around in May I had the slide show done, but the normal provider of the projector had sold their projector sometime in the past year. So I told them not to worry about it that I would find one somewhere to use. Well, I soon discovered that NO ONE in Vero Beach had a projector that they could loan me or that I could rent. Everyone had one in Minneapolis, but no luck here. Ah, small towns. I did a web search for the best price, went to Circuit City and made them match the price and ended up buying one. I thought I would just resell it, but decided to give it a try in my system. So, I am now a proud owner of the X-1 and am very pleased. :D Oh, and I now know where to get a projector for next year's event. :D

[Richard King]

The infocus site has very affordable adapters Yep, they do. I ended up saving a couple bucks by buying mine at Buy.com. They are on the way here. I will be hooking up to the component outs on my HK surround receiver.

[RichW]

Anytime Rich. Do you work for them or have shares in the parent company?


I don't work for them, but have a bit of stock. They are a home-grown Oregon company. The venture capital firm of which I am a partner provided their second-round financing before they went public.(NASDAQ: INFS)

[dfergie]

Hint, If its late at night and you cannot sleep and do not want to wake everyone, headphones are cool with the X1. ( not quite surround, but...)

[Richard King]

The venture capital firm of which I am a partner provided their second-round financing before they went publicNeat. I should have talked to you to get a better price. :D

[Richard King]

I still haven't run the wires in the attic yet, and still have to tweek positioning/size (notice it is over the edge on the right), but here is where I am at this point. I built a couple of custom brackets and have moved the center speaker to above the screen. I still need to move my surround receiver up in the rack so that I can swap the television and the right speaker. That's going to be a lot of work since the receiver is so heavy and it will need to be totally rewired. I have attached full screen and wide screen of the same scene from The Fifth Element. I still have a ceiling fan to relocate, so you will see the pull chains for the light and fan on the left side. :( To give a size perspective, the television on the lower right side of the first picture is a 35" Toshiba. Shot 1 and 3 below were done with a light from my other ceiling fan turned on in the back of the room (you can see it reflecting in the picture tube). It actually works quite well with a fair amount of light in the room, better than the old 3 tube projector I had about 8 years ago.

[dfergie]

Looking good... gonna go watch mine some now :)

[Nick]

Very cool, Richard. Looks like you get a good light level on the screen.

Get a rf wireless remote for your ceiling fan and you can eliminate or shorten the chains. I just put a new fan in my bedroom and the add-on remote device is great. As a bonus, it separates the fan and the light controls, and gives full-range dimming.

Home Depot has both the hand-held RC and the wall switch models for $25 each. Easily added on.

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/163029_3.jpg OR http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/163028_3.jpg
Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@1834998154.1092054277@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdiadcmfdhdjllcgelceffdfgidgnk.0&MID=9876)

(The black device above fits inside the ceiling mount and is covered by the bell housing.)

[Scott Greczkowski]

I have been looking at those X1 Projectors for awhile now.

I would really like to know how the HD looks on it. :)

[Richard King]

They are not TRUE HD projectors, being 800x600, but it certainly works for me. It "outshines" my old Zenith based 3 tube CRT projector that I had years ago by a long shot, but it was just standard NTSC, so not a good comparison. I actually enjoyed the challenge of tweeking the over 100 adjustments on that thing to attempt to get a good picture. When it wasn't on rental it hung from my ceiling. I always had to tweek it when it went out and came back. I got really good at it after a while. The X-1 is too easy. :lol:

[finniganps]

Very cool, Richard. Looks like you get a good light level on the screen.

Get a rf wireless remote for your ceiling fan and you can eliminate or shorten the chains. I just put a new fan in my bedroom and the add-on remote device is great. As a bonus, it separates the fan and the light controls, and gives full-range dimming.

Home Depot has both the hand-held RC and the wall switch models for $25 each. Easily added on.

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/163029_3.jpg OR http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/163028_3.jpg
Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@1834998154.1092054277@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdiadcmfdhdjllcgelceffdfgidgnk.0&MID=9876)

(The black device above fits inside the ceiling mount and is covered by the bell housing.)

Be careful with the first one - I have two of those. Some fans do not have much room in the housing and it's a real "pain" to get it in there. I spent an hour on one fan before it finally went in.

[Nick]

Be careful with the first one - I have two of those. Some fans do not have much room in the housing and it's a real "pain" to get it in there. I spent an hour on one fan before it finally went in.!rolling :rolling:

Yeah, I had a couple of "fans" like that when I was a teenager. :grin: :p

Who are you, finnigan, a Rock Star or something? :hurah:

:lol:

[Richard King]

Ah, groupies. :D

[Richard King]

Are those IR or RF remotes? I wonder if I could integrate them into my universal remote (a Harmony Remote). Could be fun to try.

[Nick]

RF - just how much convenience does one need, anywhoo? :)

Or, just hire an 18 yo chick - excuse me, a "Breasted American" - to sit on your lap and click the fan RC upon your oral command! :grin:

[Richard King]

If I were to make oral commands I would have to be in the White House. :D