(Note: the UHD50X and the UHD42 are the same projector in different markets, because some companies are dumb)
Several years after I predicted (or rather, hoped for) it, Optoma has actually made an affordable 240 Hz DLP projector in the way I was talking about.
Basic background:
Affordable 4k DLP projectors work by having an actual 1080p resolution on their micromirrors, but updating their position very slightly 4 times per frame to build a 4k image.
What I've always wanted for gaming is a projector that allows you to (optionally) disable that, and instead use this speed to display 1080p at 240 Hz.
Well, Optoma built it and I bought it (because after ranting about no one doing this and leaving potentially useful "free" features on the table I had to put my money where my mouth is).
So, this projector can display either 3840x2160 at 60 Hz, or 1920x1080 at 240 Hz.
For some reason you need to Switch to "Enhanced Gaming" mode for the latter to work, and switch it back off to make 3840x2160 work again. I don't really get why this has to be an option (and the projector doesn't simply use that mode when it gets a 1080p240 signal, and turns it off for 4k60).
Anyway, with the correct setup, and the basically instantaneous switching times of DLP, it's pretty neat. Probably the smoothest mouse curser and most readable text scrolling I've ever seen on any PC display I've used.
It's nice to have the flexibility to switch between 1080p240 for action-heavy games with a reaction focus, while using 4k for e.g. JRPGs, and have both be basically "native".
Everything else (contrast, brightness etc.) is pretty average for a DLP projector in its class, so you're not paying a huge extra for the 240 Hz gaming feature. Personally, I'd prefer a pure RGB color wheel, but I guess you have to take what you get.
Oh, and we've reached the point where projectors are almost as silly as TVs when it comes to sharpness settings. This one has a "Sharpness" value that defaults to higher-than-no-processing, and then in addition to that it has a "UltraDetail" setting which is basically another sharpness post-processing filter. Of course I've turned all that stuff to neutral.
So, anyway, I thought I'd make a thread about this since it's the most interesting thing in projectors for gaming in the past 5 years or so, IMHO.
Several years after I predicted (or rather, hoped for) it, Optoma has actually made an affordable 240 Hz DLP projector in the way I was talking about.
Basic background:
Affordable 4k DLP projectors work by having an actual 1080p resolution on their micromirrors, but updating their position very slightly 4 times per frame to build a 4k image.
What I've always wanted for gaming is a projector that allows you to (optionally) disable that, and instead use this speed to display 1080p at 240 Hz.
Well, Optoma built it and I bought it (because after ranting about no one doing this and leaving potentially useful "free" features on the table I had to put my money where my mouth is).
So, this projector can display either 3840x2160 at 60 Hz, or 1920x1080 at 240 Hz.
For some reason you need to Switch to "Enhanced Gaming" mode for the latter to work, and switch it back off to make 3840x2160 work again. I don't really get why this has to be an option (and the projector doesn't simply use that mode when it gets a 1080p240 signal, and turns it off for 4k60).
Anyway, with the correct setup, and the basically instantaneous switching times of DLP, it's pretty neat. Probably the smoothest mouse curser and most readable text scrolling I've ever seen on any PC display I've used.
It's nice to have the flexibility to switch between 1080p240 for action-heavy games with a reaction focus, while using 4k for e.g. JRPGs, and have both be basically "native".
Everything else (contrast, brightness etc.) is pretty average for a DLP projector in its class, so you're not paying a huge extra for the 240 Hz gaming feature. Personally, I'd prefer a pure RGB color wheel, but I guess you have to take what you get.
Oh, and we've reached the point where projectors are almost as silly as TVs when it comes to sharpness settings. This one has a "Sharpness" value that defaults to higher-than-no-processing, and then in addition to that it has a "UltraDetail" setting which is basically another sharpness post-processing filter. Of course I've turned all that stuff to neutral.
So, anyway, I thought I'd make a thread about this since it's the most interesting thing in projectors for gaming in the past 5 years or so, IMHO.
