Sim2 HT380

[admin_exported]

I just subscribed to WhatHifi to try and read the October, 2007 issue (page 12) for the HT380 review. For some odd reason I thought I could read the magazines online via a secure website for the $160 or so.

I want to read that review badly, so now I would have to order a back issue and wait months to get it?

-ELmO

 

[Anonymous]

So I guess there's no access to past issues?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Not online yet - due in the big site re-build we've got planned for 2008. Getting 1000+ reviews online isn't an instant process...

In the meantime I can tell you the SIM2 HT380 is our Award winner at its price point - it's absolutely stunning for the money, with its Brilliant Colour technology, Full HD resolution and 24fps support making it an ideal companion to a high-end HD player like Pioneer's BDP-LX70A.

 

[Anonymous]

Clare,

Thanks.

I did order the HT380 already, and I'm waiting for it to arrive. Just wanted more information on it since it's so scarce! I have the Toshiba XA2, with its recent firmware 2.7 patch, supposedly passes 1080p24 correctly. With the REON chip, the upconversion of standard DVDs is great as well....

What size 1.78 screen would you pair it with? I will have a room with no ambient light, and I will paint the walls/ceiling maroon/black.

I was thinking 118-126".

Thanks!
ELmO

 

[Anonymous]

The HT380 is absolutely mind-blowing. You have made a good choice to order one! I have installed one just this Friday gone (and a HT3000e soon too) and I can say Sim2 are well and truly right on top of their game right now. The 1080p24 should work fine from the XE1 - on my site we were using a Lumagen Radiance XD video processor so this handled any frame rate conversion, scaling and deinterlacing.

One thing that bugged me though is it seems Sim2 in the UK at least are not supplying their own mount. They are using one from Unicol (UK based mount manufacturer) and IMO it is quite ugly. Especially when we are used to the Sim2 ones. If you have any option make sure you get a look at the mount you are after first!!

Screen size is going to be subjective to your tastes, room and viewing distance. 10ft on the width really wants to be seen from 15ft away or more. In blackout conditions the image should retain a lot of punch with the bigger screen size, and of course the Brilliant Colour and Unishape technologies combining to give a high brightness picture. Trying to position the projector so that the lens is not on full zoom is a good practice to avoid/minimize chromatic abberation - the T1 lens on the HT380 is 1.5-2.0:1 which for a 10ft wide screen gives you a distance of 15 to 20ft screen to lens. Pushing it farther back is better, and I've always liked the idea of viewing a projected image whilst sitting between the projector and the image (rather than the PJ on a table).