Meant to be Seen

There is a new 3D projector coming out from Acer that is 720P and fully supports HDMI 1.4.



Should be out in the US in May at a price around $800. This is certainly a projector I would be interested in getting, especially since it will be compatible with both Nvidia or AMD cards, PS3, 3D Blu-Ray, broadcast 3D, etc.

http://3dvision-blog.com/acer-h5360bd-i ... a-support/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can download the manual here:
http://global-download.acer.com/Step5.a ... AP_7&LC=th" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to save yourself a long read, then the good stuff is that it supports frame-packed at 720P60 or 1080P24 and also side-by-side and over-under. 3D mode can be manually enabled and the eyes can be swapped. Uses standard DLP Link glasses (which should have no issue with sync since this uses HDMI 1.4). Looks like a very nice kit.

I was just about to get the H5360 and suddenly here it is this new version.
I wonder if this will lower the price of the normal H5360 so I should wait a little longer. What do you think?

crim3 wrote:so I should wait a little longer. What do you think?

Really, at this point, it is probably not a great idea to invest in any 3D HDTVs/projectors that don't support the HDMI 1.4 standard.

cybereality wrote:Really, at this point, it is probably not a great idea to invest in any 3D HDTVs/projectors that don't support the HDMI 1.4 standard.

That's the point. If most people thinks like that then the demand for the older version will almost vanish and the price will drop.

I think like you anyway, but if I can save a good bunch of bucks in this new iteration of fever for new 3D hardware that I'm suffering I'll have more to spent in the next one.

I'll wait anyway as it's a requisite for both options.

Well, if there is a huge price difference, then that could make sense. But with the old model you are locked into only using Nvidia on Windows 7. With HDMI 1.4 you could use Nvidia or AMD, IZ3D, DDD, PS3, etc., etc. A whole lot more options. That's an investment in the future, as surely HDMI 1.4 will be the standard for many years to come.

Ok, many thanks. I'll take that into account also.

The H5360BD is not necessarily a better solution than the H5360, sure it has HDMI 1.4 and 24p compatibility, but it's a lot more expensive (at least in France, 699€ vs 525€) and it is not compatible with 3D Vision but only with DLP-Link. This technology is know to produce a lower quality image, with shifts in colorimetry, reduced contrast and higher black levels. Not the greatest choice for movies.

It depends on what you want to do with it. If you only want to watch 3D movies with a Blu-Ray player the H5360BD is the only solution, but for games and frame sequential videos with the PS3 the H5360 coupled with the VIP 3D Gamer box is a less expensive solution at 666€ (525€ + 141€). It also provides a better image quality in frame sequential mode if you've got a PC and is compatible with 3D games and movies on the PC with 3D Vision.

666€ it's really an interesting price tag

I want it for PC gaming. It seems that everyone is pleased with. But I don't like the idea of having to use exclusively 3D vision. Let's see what the next iz3d is able to do with shutters.

Also, this new one should be made "compatible" (that is, allowed to work in 3D after detection by 3d vision driver) as it seems to be exactly the same projector and Acer has had great success with it. If the H5360BD is going to replace the old one they'll want the same compatibility.

Yes, but it supports standard formats, like side-by-side, which will work with just about any software or driver you can imagine on any type of computer (even Linux). You are not locked into a Windows 7 Nvidia system.

i have 2 radeon hd5850s in crossfire, works great with the h5360 with dlp link glasses. I also have another computer with a gtx295 and nvidia 3d vision glasses/emitter. I like the fact that the nvidia glasses are rechargeable, not diggin putting in a new cr2032 coin cell battery every 40 hours with the dlp link glasses. the games and movies on both the nvidia (3d vision) and the amd (tridef) setup look almost identical. You are not locked into nvidia. you will have to purchase tridef or iz3d (personally, tridef is waaay better) however. I do believe you can get a free license for iz3d for amd cards, however this driver did not work for me, I had to select stereoscopic 3d (which you do have to purchase).

one more thing, you're going to need a beefy graphics setup for either nvidia or amd. gtx 295 isnt too slow, but its pushing the playability envelope with all effects (in 3d). I have a little more headroom with the crossfire setup.

also of note, I have installed a gtx 275 to handle physx (for those games that support it, mafia 2, batman aa, bla, bla) in my crossfire setup. Simple driver mod, google it. Running a d5400xs skull trail, dual-quad xeons, 16gb ram, bla, bla.

Anyway, i hope ive helped some of you who think you're locked into the nvidia 3d vision setup. I bought 2 pairs of dlp-link glasses for 130. I paid 130 for 1 pair of nvidia glasses and the emitter.

There is also a driver option in tridef to support nvidia cards and use the dlp link glasses (haven't tried it yet though). It takes more time to get the amd solution dialed in, but its worth it.

lastly, I could go the ps3 route, but the hardware is a joke. Crysis 2 runs with little to no effects and 1024x600 on the ps3 - lol (and even gets choppy sometimes (low framerates). I can run it at 1920x1080 at 60hz in 3d (30hz per eye) or 1280x720 at 120hz (60hz per eye) in 3d with everything maxed (hardcore) with my crossfire setup. I haven't messed with nvidia's 3dtv software, but I believe it is similar to tridef and will allow the use of nvidia cards with dlp glasses.

paid $420 for the pj, new, don't need a 1.4 hdmi adapter, but its an option if I ever decide to dust off my 3 (modded) ps3s (KMEAW).

have fun, bye

Thats good to hear that AMD works. I knew there was some support for 120Hz projectors, but when I read about it previously the compatibility was spotty and inconsistent. I guess it has improved since then. But that is also why I am recommending people stick with the HDMI 1.4 standard, because you know it will work for sure, no questioned asked.

Glad to hear that gigahurts. I already was thinking that I could also buy some DLP link glasses as 'backup'.

I have a Zalman 3d display. I've tested iz3d and now I'm testing Tridef. Unfortunately with Tridef I can't make microsoft FSX (my main entertaiment software by far) run as I'd like to. The GUI detection in the tridef driver keeps the virtual cockpit flat and none replies at Tridef forums. The autofocus is also a bit annoying but it can be disabled easily. And the maximum separation is quite low. It seems that the Tridef driver is oriented to 'game inside a box' stereo experience. I aim for 'looking through a window' stereo experience.

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And what you people think? Has Acer just updated the firmware to make the projector HDMI 1.4 compatible or are new electronics needed for that?

Should be out in the US in May at a price around $800.

Sorry, but where is this price and release information from? I haven't read anything concrete about the U.S. price, and the ones on sale in Europe are over $1,000 USD.

ronfar623 wrote: Sorry, but where is this price and release information from? I haven't read anything concrete about the U.S. price, and the ones on sale in Europe are over $1,000 USD.

There is no official U.S. price at this time. The $800 value is basically a rumor/guestimate at this point.

I got my H5360BD last week and confirm it work with 3DTV Play, had 720p 120hz from the Display Menu, SBS support in 720p and 1080p, TnB + Frame Packing. Basically it work with the majority of the format except checkerbox. Movies and gaming is awesome without ghosting on most of the material I try out in both PC and PS3. I'm using UltraClear DLP-Link glasses currently on sale at USD 50 per pair. Pricing is around Euro 587 without tax if shipped out from Europe (get it from Amazon.de). Shipping to Malaysia is Euro 40 and import tax is 10%. Total that I paid for the projector is Euro 690.

Thanks for the review. This sounds like a nice kit.

I took the plunge last week and bought this projector from German Amazon (where it's about £120 cheaper than any UK seller) and so far I am absolutely blown away by it.

Until now I have been using an Acer XGA projector purchased about four years ago - sadly not 3D ready; it's amazing how much projector technology has advanced in just four years! I had been resisting the urge to upgrade to a 3D ready projector until I could get one that would work directly with Sky 3D without the need for a converter box.

Even before I tested the 3D capabilities I was astonished by the difference in picture quality; the contrast ratio is much higher, the colours are more vibrant and everything looks just fantastic. I mounted it from the ceiling and it immediately flipped the image automatically without waiting to be told (my old projector never did that )

In 3D the projector is a dream. It works with both DLP link and NVidia 3D vision (although the latter requires a computer, so you can't use that option for 3D television broadcasts). The DLP link 3D image is bright and sharp with perfect colour and contrast and no ghosting at all. The blacks are jet black and every detail of the image looks just amazing. I have seen lower quality 3D projection in many cinemas.

It even accepts a 3D signal through the VGA connector. I connected my laptop and set Stereoscopic Player to "software pageflipping" and it had no problem displaying photos and videos.

My single criticism of the projector is that activating the 3D mode is very awkward. Sky 3D does not use HDMI 1.4; you have to manually set the projector to side-by-side 3D. To do this you have to go deep into the menu - twice. You can't enable side-by-side mode until you have turned on the 3D, but activating the 3D mode instantly clears the menu screen, so you have to go all the way back in again. When you want to switch off the 3D you have to go through the same cumbersome process in reverse. A couple of dedicated buttons on the remote would have done wonders.

Until now I have been using the Vuzix Wrap to watch programmes on Sky 3D, and I have been using the Samsung 2233 with Nvidia on my computer. The Acer is better than either of these by several orders of magnitude. I can recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone.

@ShawmK: Thanks for this. I am seriously thinking about getting this one. I just don't want to get ripped off importing, so I'm waiting til its available in the US.

That's the one benefit of being part of the European Union; there are no import duties when shipping from one country to another!

This is very nearly the perfect projector, as far as my purposes are concerned. I'm still amazed by the quality of the 3D images it produces; all the 3D televisions I have seen exhibit various levels of ghosting (and my Samsung monitor has severe ghosting). I have yet to see any with the Acer.

I'm now waiting for a second pair of glasses, so my girlfriend and I can watch movies together.

ShawmK wrote:In 3D the projector is a dream. It works with both DLP link and NVidia 3D vision (although the latter requires a computer, so you can't use that option for 3D television broadcasts).

Are you sure it really supports 3D Vision ? On a review site it was said that this projector was not compatible with 3D Vision glasses, only with DLP-Link or 3DTV Play.

ShawmK wrote:The DLP link 3D image is bright and sharp with perfect colour and contrast and no ghosting at all. The blacks are jet black and every detail of the image looks just amazing. I have seen lower quality 3D projection in many cinemas.

It contradicts everything I've read about DLP-Link, ie. not perfect colours (blue shift) and very bad contrast. The image is bright though, but it's due to the DLP-Link flashes which give bad black levels.

Sorry, you're right about 3D Vision; I just had a closer look and it's 3DTV Play. I saw the NVidia logo and assumed it was 3D vision.



I haven't seen any other DLP link displays so I can't compare, but the picture on this one is excellent. There is no colour shift that I can detect, and the contrast is very good. It's true that the black levels look awful in 3D mode, but only when you remove the glasses. If I understand the system correctly, the synch-flashes only fire when the lens shutters are closed, so you never actually see them. As soon as you put on the glasses, the blacks are jet-black.

ShawmK wrote:Sorry, you're right about 3D Vision; I just had a closer look and it's 3DTV Play. I saw the NVidia logo and assumed it was 3D vision.

Thanks for the confirmation.

ShawmK wrote:I haven't seen any other DLP link displays so I can't compare, but the picture on this one is excellent. There is no colour shift that I can detect, and the contrast is very good. It's true that the black levels look awful in 3D mode, but only when you remove the glasses. If I understand the system correctly, the synch-flashes only fire when the lens shutters are closed, so you never actually see them. As soon as you put on the glasses, the blacks are jet-black.

From several reviews I've read there is always an heavy colorimetric shift with DLP-Link compared to 3D Vision and the white flashes are never completely masked by the glasses. You can have a look at a recent comparison here : http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p ... 160#p62160" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've had a go at photographing the 3D images on the projector to give you a bit of an idea.

This photo is taken through the glasses (I'm using Optoma DLP Link glasses) with the Fuji W1 camera:


Here is the same image, but without the glasses. You can see the black levels are much higher here:




Here is another still with the glasses on:



I know it's hard to tell from a photo like this, but the colours are extremely accurate; there is no discernible shift.

The screen is about 76 inches. Believe me, this is a very positive 3D experience!

The first pair shows an heavy colorimetric shift in the blue, you can clearly see that the background is blue in it although it's grey with some red in the second pair.

To see if the contrast and black levels are compromised you'd need to compare with a 3D Vision compatible projector, but showing only the 2D version on your projector should still give some hints.

That looks pretty good to me. I really do want to get this projector.

I already did all the math, and I should be able to get close to a 90" image in my living room. I can't wait.

Just wanted to post a quick update on this projector....

At the beginning of this month, the lamp suddenly failed, without warning . I've only had the thing for about two months, so I wasn't terribly pleased about that. The good news is that it's still under warranty, and Acer provided a new bulb without any fuss (can't fault their customer service). I only hope this was just a dud bulb, and nothing more ominous than that. The bulbs on this model are supposed to last 3000 hours...

@ShawmK: Thats too bad man. At least they are covering it.

Also: Why is this not available in the US already?

Any RBE sensitives to comment on RBE? I'm pretty much done with DLP after "the incident" with the HD33... but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

You are talking about the rainbows, right? Seems it bothers some people but not others. Strange.

I just bought some DLP-Link glasses, since I discovered they randomly have a 3D projector at work. Gonna test some stuff out, maybe tomorrow, should let me know if a DLP PJ is a good choice or not before I blow any more money. I really hope this RBE stuff is not a problem.

I've got a DLP projector too (Acer X1130P) and I see rainbow effects from time to time. But it's quite rare and only in specific situations (black scenes with some white, like in end credits for example). It's not enough to bother me though, also I suppose it doesn't only depend on viewer sensitivity but also on the design of the projector itself (number of wheels, speed of rotation, etc.).

Optoma def. has best dlp glasses. Bit dark but with bright screen it counters it. I am just amazed with its build qualitity. I had to buy an acer 5360 + optoma 3d xl since I can not find an 5360bd anywhere. But it is essentially same thing at same price.

I have not been able to detect a rainbow effect on the H5360BD either in 2D or 3D. My previous projector was an Acer model from 2007 and that had a distinct rainbow effect - to my eyes, at least.

I currently have two pairs of glasses: one from Optoma and a pair from Ultimate 3D Heaven. They are both excellent.

I have those both as well. 3D heaven is a bit cheaper but has ghosting (tiny bit) and a greenish tint. Id rather have dark tint and make screen real bright. Its also only one with ghosting though minor..no idea why there should be any.
I like nvidia(non-dlp) because of image qualitity(darkening is very minor.) However the glasses are garbage. Screen size is so small and easy to get scratches on. The optoma is a notch below that just cause screen is darker... bright screen and settings can help. Optomas build qualitity is so nice. Its only 3d glasses that looks like what you paid for.

I really like the idea of infrared but havent tried any besides nvidia(I think they mainly only work with optoma's.) DLP link works great but I have to play around with settings each time. I have it set for theatre in acer 5360 and eco mode. Then when I go to watch dlp link I got to set for bright. Turn on dlp link and turn off eco. Its 100% = to 2d in brightness but its a bit annoying.

Fredz wrote:I've got a DLP projector too (Acer X1130P) and I see rainbow effects from time to time. But it's quite rare and only in specific situations (black scenes with some white, like in end credits for example). It's not enough to bother me though, also I suppose it doesn't only depend on viewer sensitivity but also on the design of the projector itself (number of wheels, speed of rotation, etc.).

I'm apparently the most rainbow sensitive person on the planet. If you ended up reading my comparison of the Optoma HD33 and the Epson 3010 at AVSForum, you'd already know some of this... but I cut my rainbow teeth on an inFocus X1 8 years ago. It had what I would call "moderate" rainbows. But worse than that, more than about 10 minutes would give me a headache- I think from eye strain. The X1 has a "2x" wheel, meaning that it runs at twice the 60hz operating frequency... meaning 120hz. I'm not sure if it was a 3 segment or a 6 segment wheel, but I want to say 6. Regardless, the HD33 has a 3x/6x wheel. Meaning it runs at 3x the 120hz operating frequency (so... 360hz) which would be the equivalent of 6x on 60hz (also has 6 segments, IIRC). As I mentioned in the AVS review, I had hoped the 6x wheel would eliminate RBE for both myself and my wife, but the RBE on the HD33 was the worst RBE I've ever encountered. Could be because it was so bright. Someone told me I just had to turn the brightness down, but I have serious doubts I'd be able to tune it down enough to completely get rid of RBE, and who wants to turn it down? Especially when I can just switch back to LCD.

Sensitivity varies from person to person, it's true. JUST HOPE YOU'RE NOT NEXT!

eqzitara1 wrote: I really like the idea of infrared but havent tried any besides nvidia(I think they mainly only work with optoma's.) DLP link works great but I have to play around with settings each time. I have it set for theatre in acer 5360 and eco mode. Then when I go to watch dlp link I got to set for bright. Turn on dlp link and turn off eco. Its 100% = to 2d in brightness but its a bit annoying.

You should check out this thread at AVS: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1354360" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HD33 owners are comparing the RF glasses and the DLP link- and the overwhelming consensus is that people perefer the DLP link.

xhonzi wrote:You should check out this thread at AVS: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1354360" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
HD33 owners are comparing the RF glasses and the DLP link- and the overwhelming consensus is that people perefer the DLP link.

Can you point specific posts ? Because this thread is 90 pages long and I don't feel like reading it entirely.

Also can you tell us why they prefer DLP-Link over RF in general ? Because it seems quite counter-intuitive to me, considering the known drawbacks of DLP-Link (random eye inversions, less contrast, blue colorimetric shift).

Fredz wrote:

xhonzi wrote:You should check out this thread at AVS: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1354360" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
HD33 owners are comparing the RF glasses and the DLP link- and the overwhelming consensus is that people perefer the DLP link.

Can you point specific posts ? Because this thread is 90 pages long and I don't feel like reading it entirely.

Liar! You totally want to read all 90 pages.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthre ... st21155843" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthre ... st21156457" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthre ... st21156534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (read several posts)

Here's a sampling. There are a crap tonne of other posts on the topic, but they are mostly in line with these.

Just an FYI: People generally seemed to tune the RFs to their liking, and then a couple of posts later would say "The RF settings I used for Movie X looked terrible on Movie Y, so I tuned them again... now Movie X looks terrible!"

Again, general consensus seems to be Pro DLP Link due to : Better Sync, Better Colour, Better Fit, Better Price, No fine tuning required.

xhonzi wrote:Here's a sampling. There are a crap tonne of other posts on the topic, but they are mostly in line with these.
Again, general consensus seems to be Pro DLP Link due to : Better Sync, Better Colour, Better Fit, Better Price, No fine tuning required.

Thanks for the links, but unfortunately they all come from one single person using a specific model of glasses (Optoma RF). This pair is most probably sub-par or simply faulty, but that doesn't mean it'll be the case for all RF glasses. It's not really possible to make a general case about this technology by basing it on this single review.

Also DLP-Link known problems don't seem to affect this guy very much, although many other people have already reported problems about brightness, contrast, colorimetry and eye inversions. So I'm really tempted to take what he says with a grain of salt and I'll wait for more reviews before forging my own opinion about RF technology.

Well RF will sync via the VESA port, right? Meaning no pseudo-stereo? That alone sounds like reason enough to use it. Can't speak to any of the other issues since I don't have a projector (yet).

Fredz wrote:

xhonzi wrote:Here's a sampling. There are a crap tonne of other posts on the topic, but they are mostly in line with these.
Again, general consensus seems to be Pro DLP Link due to : Better Sync, Better Colour, Better Fit, Better Price, No fine tuning required.

Thanks for the links, but unfortunately they all come from one single person using a specific model of glasses (Optoma RF). This pair is most probably sub-par or simply faulty, but that doesn't mean it'll be the case for all RF glasses. It's not really possible to make a general case about this technology by basing it on this single review.

Also DLP-Link known problems don't seem to affect this guy very much, although many other people have already reported problems about brightness, contrast, colorimetry and eye inversions. So I'm really tempted to take what he says with a grain of salt and I'll wait for more reviews before forging my own opinion about RF technology.

Fair enough. You didn't want to read all 90 pages- I didn't want to read all 90 pages... AGAIN, so I didn't get a more comprehensive sampling. There are far more people in that thread that share that opinion. I haven't really heard anyone strongly express the opposite opinion- that they've used DLP link and... ANY other kind of glasses and not prefered the DLP link.

At any rate, I don't have a dog in this fight. I just thought some of you would like to know what the masses of HD33 owners had experienced.