InFocus @ CEDIA - Screenplay 777 & IN78EX
By Matt Burns 
posted Sep 15th 2006 3:58PM
posted Sep 15th 2006 3:58PM
The Screenplay 777 is nothing new but the projector just commands attention and we complied. It is such a beautiful 3-chip projector that is in a league of its own when it boils down to style and class. Don't expect to put the unit on a end-table though as it is simply too big for that.
The big news from InFocus is the new 720p IN78EX DarkChip3 powered projector. By slightly reworking the cabinet from the 76 model and obvisouly throwing in the newer DarkChip3, InFocus has a winner on their hands. The demo they showed us in their pleasantly cool (a good 10-degrees cooler then the trade floor) theater consisted of a pre-record NFL game and The Island high-def trailer that look great. In the world that is CEDIA, this projector held its own and thanks to the DarkChip3 demonstrated astounding black levels. The demo switched to the HD DVD release of Saraha for the Screenplay 777 and even though this three-chip DLP had better detail, it just didn't have the same blacks as the newer and cheaper IN78EX. If you don't fall for all the 1080p marketing hype, this $4,499 720p projector might make its way into your home theater. And, yes, this projector might just look better then the Sony Pearl.
Click on for another look at the 777 and inside their theater.
777 hanging from the ceiling.
Are you sure it is a 3 chip pj for 4999$?
Sounds too good to be true!
99.9% sure he was talking about the IN78EX, Not the 777.
"And, yes this projector did look better the Sony's Pearl." Except DLP isn't a technology solution for everyone. I know that you consider those people plagued with rainbows are being worthless, no count, etc., but our buying dollars are just as important.
So, the decision would be a 720P high-ANSI contrast projector for $4500 or a 1080P high fill-factor (yes, higher than DLP!) for $5000.
I believe the 777 also has the Dark Chip 3. How can the blacks be that different.
I'm trying to figure that one out as well, as the 777 has 3 Texas Instrument 0.8" 720p DarkChip™ 3, 12° LVDS DMD's, and has a 5000:1 Full On/Full Off Contrast Ratio, and the 78EX has 1 Texas Instrument 0.8" 720p DarkChip™ 3, 12° LVDS DMD, and has a 6-segment, 4-speed, D65K (6500K) color calibrated colorwheel to help provide and astonishing 3500:1 Full On/Full Off Contrast Ratio. So I'm not seeing how the 777 can have a worse off black level.
I suppose that the brightness levels can have something to do with it, after all the 777 has a briliant 2000 Video Optimized ANSI Lumens, where as the 78EX only has 1000 Video Optimized ANSI Lumens. So it is a possibility that the brightness of the 777 is actually diminishing the quality of the black level through image washout.
I hate to break it to certain people whose buying dollars are very important, but the Infocus 777 is a 3 chip DLP solution with no color wheel, making it impossible to have any sort of rainbow issues
However if the comments were directed at the IN78EX, then yes, that would have rainbows
In all reality, with the Colorwheel being a 6-Segmented 4-Speed Colorwheel, the possibility of people actually being able to catch a Rainbow, is nearly impossible, as the colorwheel would be spinning much faster than the eye is able to 'refresh' at. And really thats all people are seeing is the 'refresh rate' of the colorwheel as it spins, adding additional segments, and making it faster, limits this possibility to a near impossibility...unless you are constantly panning your head across the screen faster than one would normally shake their head to a 'no' response to a question that is...
that is why I asked on the first place about this proj being a 3 chip one:
3 chip p/j = no color wheel = no rainbow and a quieter pj
But 3 chip from what I understand are from 10k and up
The retail price for the 777 is $15,000.00 U.S..
Will there be a price drop now that the 720p chips are falling?
I have asked InFocus this recently, and from what I have been able to ascertain, the price will not be changing all that much in the near future, as when this projector first released a little over a year ago the price tag was $30,000. so seeing that in just over a year the price drop about 50%, I don't expect it to drop any further any time soon. But InFocus has done some strange things recently, Like moving their Technical Support and Customer Service call center out of their Corporate Office in Wilsonville, OR to Bangalore India.