Infocus In72 & Sound Vision Studio

[yamapro]

G'day to all,

Some of you know I have been looking for a new PJ for a while now and had my eyes (and my heart set) on a Benq 8720. Well long story short after a quick financial review the CFO and I decided an entry level PJ would do for our needs for the moment. Basically the decision was made that while we are renting and any HT system i build will be heavily compromised by room constraints etc... we would lower the crossbar so to speak and put the difference towards building a new home - with the room that I want and the gear i really want in it

So it's quite a 'downgrade' to go from a 8720 to an IN72 - 480p DC2 DLP... however it is utterly FANTASTIC!

The biggest advantages are as follows:

1) It's PQ is awesome, I've never seen an SD picture like it! Granted it gives away a bit in terms of resolution but the colour balance, brightness and contrast are out of this world. It is chalk and cheese compared to my old Infocus DLP. This thing actually puts out a very viewable image with dim lights on or afternoon sun penetrating the room (as we don't have Block Out blinds) - far more so than anything from the 'last generation'.

2) It has a VS mode that will be ideal for my CIH plans So an 'Aussiemorphic' will be ordered very very shortly...

3) RBE doesn't seem to be a big problem with this unit. Granted i haven't done any critical viewing yet but it is definitely an improvement, even in normal 'casual viewing' from the earlier model DLPs.

4) I got it brand new for 1/3 of the best price i could get a new 8720 for (as in a proper Aussie delivered and warranted version) - I know very well we're not comparing apples with apples but the value of this beast is Phenomenal

5) Being SD res, i am now no longer tempted to get into HD just yet and so can take advantage of great quality DVD and SD TV viewing knowing i'm getting as much as i can from my display - and then when we build take full advantage of more mature product cycles with both HD sources and my next PJ (3chip 1080p DLP anyone? :P )

Now i haven't done any tweaking or calibrating yet and so a full review will follow soon but i can honestly tell you with our seating position (4.5 - 5metres back from screen) and a 92inch screen the picture is GORGEOUS! If i wanted a bigger screen (in 16:9 ratio) or to sit closer then i would no doubt have HAD to get a 720 model but i am more than happy with the image i get now and am DIEING to get into CIH...

Part two of this litle post is to say Big Kudos to Sound & Vision Studio on Greenhill Road.

I (and others) have often bemoaned the lack of good HiFi and HT retailers here in SA but i can assure you these guys are 1st Class.

I dealt with John there, who remembered me from about twelve months ago when i cam in purely to chew fat and kick tyres. Back then he was only too happy to sit me down in there Biggest demo room and show off the greatest in High End goodness (Marantz PJ's Halcro and Meridian kit etc...) and crank up a Roy Orbison live DVD for about half an hour, just for fun, without me even giving him reason to think i was interested in buying anything at the time.

Anyway back to SVS i went on Friday to have a look at PJs and John (with no pressure) gave me a great price on the IN72 without any haggling for me (despite this being about the only entry level product they stock and surely with very little profit in it for them)

I can whole heartedly say when it comes to building system number 2(ish) from scratch - this will be the first place i go. Sound & Vision Studio is a great shop, full of fantastic gear and with very friendly and approachable staff who are more than happy to just have a chat. It's an attitude that i wish more people would embrace and has gone no end towards building a lifetime relationship with me.

Cheers,

Alex

[Foggy]

Congratulations on the purchase yamapro, and a nice writeup of the experience too.

You're right, that is a fantastic price for a solid entry level projector, and IIRC InFocus were offering a 12 month lamp warranty in Aus.

Your reasoning behind your decision is very sound, and I applaud you for buying to a plan... it's just too easy to extend the budget and go for the next level up. Well done, and I hope you get many thousands of happy hours out of it.

[wheresbaz]

Congrats Yamapro on PJ purchase. How sweet it is to get that big screen in your own home. No one talking while the good bits are on no jaffas getting thrown around. You don't have to listen to Bill Collins behind you explaining the plot. Its all good.

Cheers Bill

[The_Preacher1973]

So it's quite a 'downgrade' to go from a 8720 to an IN72 - 480p DC2 DLP... however it is utterly FANTASTIC!

Cheers,

Alex

As you've found, with all the hype on here surrounding the higher spec PJ's, it's easy to dismiss entry level projectors and forget what a satisfying image they can still produce.

I can remember before I bought my 1st projector I was trying to save to buy at least a 720P model and was reading in magazines about the Barco Cine series and wondering how I could ever save enough to afford a decent projector.

Then in 2004 I went to the Home Show in Rockhampton. One of the local AV shops had a demo set up with a 92 inch screen and a digital projector. I was mesmerised by how great the picture was. Curious as to what PJ they were using, I wandered up to it and had a look. Guess what it was. An IF4805! At the time they were going for around $3000 but I was surprised at how good an entry level PJ was. It showed me that getting a PJ that I'd be happy with was well and truly within reach. I could have stayed and watched that little 4805 for hours except they'd coupled it with Klipsch speakers which I found considerably more painful than having my wisdom teeth pulled (unlike having wisdom teeth pulled, Klipsch don't come with morphine but they should).

Anyway, since the IN72 is a step up from the 4805, I'm sure it will give you many hours of enjoyment.

[yamapro]

Congratulations on the purchase yamapro, and a nice writeup of the experience too.

You're right, that is a fantastic price for a solid entry level projector, and IIRC InFocus were offering a 12 month lamp warranty in Aus.

Your reasoning behind your decision is very sound, and I applaud you for buying to a plan... it's just too easy to extend the budget and go for the next level up. Well done, and I hope you get many thousands of happy hours out of it.

Yep you sure do recall corectly Foggy - one of the real sweetners was definitely the 12 month lamp warranty

Thanks for the positive feedback. 1 big advantage of going down this path now is i can get into CIH sooner and take it with me to the next setup - one day

Congrats Yamapro on PJ purchase. How sweet it is to get that big screen in your own home. No one talking while the good bits are on no jaffas getting thrown around. You don't have to listen to Bill Collins behind you explaining the plot. Its all good.

Cheers Bill

Sure is sweet Bill - Ive missed it too much for too long. Watched Casino Royale and DOA last night and the Bond movie was great in my lounge room - won't be goin to the movies for a while now Dead Or Alive however was tragic...in spite of all the tasty babes running around in very little!

As you've found, with all the hype on here surrounding the higher spec PJ's, it's easy to dismiss entry level projectors and forget what a satisfying image they can still produce.

I can remember before I bought my 1st projector I was trying to save to buy at least a 720P model and was reading in magazines about the Barco Cine series and wondering how I could ever save enough to afford a decent projector.

Then in 2004 I went to the Home Show in Rockhampton. One of the local AV shops had a demo set up with a 92 inch screen and a digital projector. I was mesmerised by how great the picture was. Curious as to what PJ they were using, I wandered up to it and had a look. Guess what it was. An IF4805! At the time they were going for around $3000 but I was surprised at how good an entry level PJ was. It showed me that getting a PJ that I'd be happy with was well and truly within reach. I could have stayed and watched that little 4805 for hours except they'd coupled it with Klipsch speakers which I found considerably more painful than having my wisdom teeth pulled (unlike having wisdom teeth pulled, Klipsch don't come with morphine but they should).

Anyway, since the IN72 is a step up from the 4805, I'm sure it will give you many hours of enjoyment.

Yeah good points Preach... i learnt long ago that Resolution alone is only a small part of overall PQ and that the law of diminishing returns applies to PJs as much as HiFi gear!

I remember the 4805 as i had a 4800 just before they released the 4805 (almost the same except for native res) and had a friend with one also... great PJs at the time. Even at $3000 i thought WOW what a picture! And stuff has just got better and cheaper at an amazing rate.

Hoping to have my Scope Screen built next week - and then an Aussiemorphic shortly after... will post pics of the set-up as it develops .:

Thanks again for the positive fedback guys

[wheresbaz]

Hey Yamapro,

I enjoyed Casino Royale too. If you haven't already seen it MI3 is even better imo. Great on bigscreen and sound effects sensational.

Cheers Bill

[Hydrology]

The IN72 is now a discontinued model, which is why stores would naturally be keen to move stocks quickly. However I mention this in passing only, as you have seen this PJ in action before you committed to purchase, and I certainly validate your opinion, for the oney its hard to beat (especially with the local warranty too!).

[yamapro]

Mark,

Do you know if IF are replacing it with another 480p model or is this being phased out now as 720p and 1080 take over as the mainstream res?

I ask as these are a bargain at the price they are going for and have some friends who i know wouldn't want to miss out!

[Hydrology]

Its hard to say if there will be a replacement. My gut tells me there wont be - companies like Optoma are offering budget 720p DLPs in the States, so I would imagine the price of those will drop.

[Wilco1503560275]

mmm

im sure the new entry lvl 720p projector offering from IF will most certainly not start at a low low price of 1399 and under.

either way, it only matters if the user is wanting to use the new hd formats on the pj, or is a serious hdtv watcher, but hdtv isnt exactly hd as we all know it.

upscaled dvds from sd to hd are hard to tell in my opinion, even from a great dvd player. i find from my eye's that i have to guess or squint REAL hard to tell which is the better picture. and lets not get started about the upscaling pal dvds has no effect argument!!! lol

if youre a late adopter into technology (like me laggin behind) the in72, again, is an awesome lil unit.