The Runco Projector

[Decibel]

This is the first in a series of posts where I will be talking about products we have on demo.

THE RUNCO PROJECTOR

The only time that I had seen a Runco projector in action was a few years when I visited my nephew in Saratoga in CA. He has a Home Theatre that cost him a number with too many zeros for me to even count. This was a thirty seater with professional seats, a 11.2 system, a Runco projector, and powered by Parasound amplifiers. I spent most of my time in the theatre watching as many movies as I could.

We have recently built a HT room at Decibel, and we have installed - what else - a Runco projector! This is the LS5 projector with DLP technology that has anamorphic lens. Watching a movie in this is something else, something you will not get even in a cinema hall. The colors are vivid, and the motion is so smooth. In Iron Man, when Robert Downing Jr powers his jets, it is like seeing an Apollo rocket taking off. You can see every sweat drop, and every small item that the director wanted you to see.

Let me give you some minimal specs of the projector:

• Single-Chip, 16:9 SuperOnyx - DMD(TM) Full HD, 1920 x 1080
• 1080PSF with 16x9 native resolution
• Max Screen Width: 120in
• Throw Distance - 1.85-2.40 (distance/width) - Standard lens
• Lamp Life - 4000 hour lifetime*
• Runcos legendary SuperOnyx(TM) technology with ConstantContrast(TM) and ViVix(TM) video processing
• ISFccc(TM) calibration for individual sharpness and noise reduction controls

In a review, Widescreen Review says, Runco has hit it out of the park with this product. One could even worry that they may have cannibalized some high-end business with the extraordinary value proposition offered here. Spot-on colorimetry, ruler flat grey scale, high-quality optics, and every "tweak" necessary for an ultimate calibration, and all for less than what we paid for a decent flat panel last year, yields a new high water mark for both performance and value ... ... it does seem like a non-sequitur, doesn't it!.

Come and enjoy a movie with us.

 

[sidvee]

What is the MRP of this projector? Is it the LS5 with different model no. for Asian mkts? You can PM me.
Thanks.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Decibel]

What is the MRP of this projector? Is it the LS5 with different model no. for Asian mkts? You can PM me. Sid

I have sent you a PM. The Runco model numbers are universal and are valid for the whole world. I have corrected my post as I had made a mistake in the model number.

If you need more details, please do write to me at <[email protected]>

Cheers

 

[anm]

not able to share even MRP in public?

 

[santhosh]

Agree, I already know Runco is beyond my affordability but it could be something I can aspire for if you could post an MRP atleast. TIA.

 

[Decibel]

Guys, I am little new to this game, and worried about the repercussions. But anyhow here goes.

The Runco LSS comes at an MRP of 5.8L with standard lens, and 8.25L with anamorphic lens.

I all future product announcements, I shall give a rough pricing of the product.

Cheers

 

[yrk1969]

Which anamorphic lens is this?

 

[anm]

hey one question - how do you watch 16:9 content with anamorphic installed? Do you need to manually take them off?

 

[Decibel]

You can stretch the image to fill 2.35:1 ratio, or leave it as it is. In the second case you will have two vertical bars.

Cheers

 

[anm]

but doesn't anamorphic lens stretch the picture to wide screen 2.35:1 format? Sorry I don't really understand how does anamorphic stuff work.

My understanding - a movie shot in 2.35:1 - projector which has native 16:9 stretches the image vertically, compresses horizontally to fit 16:9 - hence using entire optics. The anamorphic lens then stretches it back to 2.35:1 - hence no black (grey) bars on top.
But when I watch a 16:9 content - then how does it work? Let me think about it too.

 

[yrk1969]

but doesn't anamorphic lens stretch the picture to wide screen 2.35:1 format? Sorry I don't really understand how does anamorphic stuff work.

My understanding - a movie shot in 2.35:1 - projector which has native 16:9 stretches the image vertically, compresses horizontally to fit 16:9 - hence using entire optics. The anamorphic lens then stretches it back to 2.35:1 - hence no black (grey) bars on top.
But when I watch a 16:9 content - then how does it work? Let me think about it too.

People appear fatter, as it happens with 4:3 content on 16:9 TVs.

You can choose to do vertical strech again, which will crop the 16:9 content at top and bottom. This works fine for some content.

Or you choose to watch with black bars on the sides by choosing a bypass mode on the lense if it supports it.

Or you can move the lenses out of the path.

 

[anm]

bypass mode on lens! Sounds tricky. And moving lens away is not always possible if ceiling mounted.

 

[yrk1969]

bypass mode on lens! Sounds tricky. And moving lens away is not always possible if ceiling mounted.

Actually for prism based lenses its quite simple. The stretched image is created using two prisms placed relative to each other at a particular angle. If you rotate the prisms to change the relative angles, you can increase or decrease the stretch. In the pass mode the prisms are rotated to get zero stretch. The rotation can be done by manual knobs or by a remote operated mechanism.

For moving the lense away, there are also motorized slides available (both shelf and ceiling mounted), though they tend to be very expensive.

 

[manoj.p]

bypass mode on lens! Sounds tricky. And moving lens away is not always possible if ceiling mounted.

The lens is usually mounted on a sled that can be moved out of the way either manually or automatically. Its very easy to diy by using a drawer slide. It can also be automated by adding a linear actuator.

 

[anm]

thanks guys. So if one buy a projector like this, does one need to buy anamorphic lens separately?
How much a motorized bypass/ slide away lens cost?

 

[manoj.p]

anm,
You may want to check first about what you view. I have an anamorphic lens, but I am going away from it. Off late, lots of movies from Hollywood are shot 1.85:1. All these movies are released on 16:9 aspect ratio. Most of the 3D movies are also 16:9. New Titanic 3D will be released in 16:9.

My current screen is 138", 2.40 aspect ratio. Its fine for scope movies, but I felt 16:9 was too small compared to scope. So, I have decided to go with 125 to 128" wide, 16:9 screen instead. It will reduce the size of scope movies, but not by much.

Scope screen is good, but depends upon your priorities.

 

[kaushik]

ok noob questions...

whatz so special in 5-6Lakh projector when we compare with 50k- 1Lakh ranger ones

 

[Decibel]

The common aspect ratio for movie films is 1:85:1 or 2.39:1. 4:3 is a video graphic aspect ratio brought about for CRT. With the advent of HD TVs, the most common format now is 16:9.

When you take a film that has been shot in 2.39:1, and display it using a 16:9 or 4:3 capable screen, you basically chop of a lot of the image and fit the resulting image onto the screen. The blank areas are displayed as vertical or horizontal bars. To display a 2.39:1 movie in native format, you need a anamorphic lens capable of displaying 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

You convert one aspect ratio into another by one of the following methods.

1. Enlarging the image area by zooming and cropping.
2. By letterboxing where you add horizontal mattes.
3. By pillar boxing where you add vertical mattes.
4. By stretching which introduces distortion.
5. By scaling.

If the film has a native 16:9 ratio, the Runco projector with anamorphic lens can display it as 16:9 or 16:9 Native where it will fit the length of the screen and add horizontal bars. To fill the screen completely, you set the projector to Letterbox mode, where it will proportionately stretch the width and length of the image and fill the whole screen.

The Runco projector converts one aspect ratio to another and allows you to choose the ratio that is most pleasing to the eye.

Cheers

 

[Decibel]

ok noob questions... whatz so special in 5-6Lakh projector when we compare with 50k- 1Lakh ranger ones

The least expensive 1080P projectors available in the world is around US$1000.

The expensive projectors fill a different market - of people who spend quite a lot of money in home theatres, have a dedicated room, have a seating for some 10-30 people, and want to bring the environment as close to a movie hall as possible. Projectors such as Runco deliver the following advantages:

1. DLP technology to deliver high color and crisp details
2. SuperOnyx Technology that delivers constant contrast
3. Proprietary video processing that achieves deep black and contrast well above 10,000:1
4. ISF technology to enable calibration for room conditions
5. Individual conrol of sharpness and noise reduction
6. Programmable image memory
7. Built in test patterns
8. Optimization for dark rooms
9. Motorized lens that allows to switch from 16:9 content to 2.35:1 content, without black bars on the top or side of the image, with the touch of a button.
10. Longer life of both the projector and lens.
11. Better internal parts and very specialized production with focus on quality.
12. Longer warranties and better support.
13. Better images and complete removal of blurring during fast motion scenes.

Cheers

 

[anm]

Thanks Manoj. I thought about it and settled for 16:9 a few months back - with da-lite material, motorized by Lakozy with somfy motor. This is because I like to record and watch movies on Star Movies HD which shows in 16:9 , and also hoping that HBO or some other movie channel would become HD. I do get horizontal bars on top and bottom for wider format blu rays. However, subtitles show up in lower bottom. Otherwise what I can do for wider format is that I just open the screen a little lesser, as the back wall is slightly darker, and then figure out a way to drop another black screen for the top bar.
I can't stand SD channels much anymore, so I have stopped caring for 4:3 content. Maybe I will have an issue watching classics, but then I can watch in smaller sizes with vertical bars.