Curved vs Flat (3 projector setup @ 225 degres)

[HondaCop]

Hello guys,

I'm reaching a point in my build where I need to make a decision and it must be made ASAP!

I currently have a 225 degree wraparound curved screen and just 1 projector. Going to purchase the other 2 next week.

While having this 1 projector (BenQ MW814ST), I've been able to mess around with it and I have seen a couple of things that really irritate me.

First is the fact that I have to buy 3 licenses of image warping software, one for each display since I will be using 1 PC per projector for the visuals.

Second is the fact that warping the image is making the image fuzzy. I've tried demos of all the big players when it comes to warping software and all of them will render a blurried/fuzzy picture. This on top of the fact that my resolution (1280x800) is not the sharpest to begin with!

Third is the fact that since the screens are curved, and on top of the fuzzy warped image, the focus/sharpness is not uniformed at all. This is expected since you are projecting a flat image onto a curved screen, so the screen distance will vary to the lens, across the screen.

My question is...

Are there any drawbacks in going with 3 flat screens for my projectors instead of curves screens? My 225 degree arc is about 21.6' long, so I'm guessing if I want to cover the same distance/wrap, with flat screens, all 3 screens have to be about 86" wide. Is this correct?

Is 225 degree even possible with 3 flat screens?

I'm thinking that with the 3 flat screens, I will definitely save on money (no need for warping software) and the image will remain sharp and clear.

What I don't know is if immersion is lost by going with flat screens.

Any help on this before I start tearing down my curved screen?

Thanks in advance, guys and gals...

[blueskydriver]

Jump over to CockpitBuilders. c o m and look at XOrionFE's big change that might make a lot of projector owner/planners rethink things. He has 5 each 60" LCDs and they look really good. He has a video link as well...

BSD

[HondaCop]

Yup, I saw that and that was exactly what kinda got me thinking about the whole thing. I definitely can't afford to go with 5 LCDs since I would also need 5 PCs!!! And a 225 degree setup definitely can't be made with 3 LCDs unless they are about 90" wide!

With 5 LCDs or projectors for that matter, it would be easy to setup because their are 2 LCDs at 45 degree angles and 2 at 90 degree angles, but in my case, I only have 3 projectors.

[OmniAtlas]

Image Display Lite 2

[HondaCop]

Image Display Lite 2

Same as Nthusim and Warpalizer... Blur City... It's the nature of the beast. Warping the image will make it blurry due to all the antialiasing and image manipulation.

[OmniAtlas]

No other work arounds? Didn't know it would blur it so badly.

How do the million dollar sims in the market do it? is it also badly blurred or does a collimated display make up for that.

[HondaCop]

No other work arounds? Didn't know it would blur it so badly.

How do the million dollar sims in the market do it? is it also badly blurred or does a collimated display make up for that.

Thats because multimillion dollar setups warp it via very expensive optics and not via digital means.

Case in point: optical vs digital zooms.

In optical zooms, you are zooming in via optics and manipulating light beams. Done right, you are still getting a pure light feed.

Digital zoom, you are manipulating pixels via software using algorithms that inject compression and all sorts of things such as antialiasing. Sharpness is going to suffer.

The only workaround is getting a very expensive lens for my pj that will optically warp the image to the same curvature of my screen. We are talking mortgage my house and then some optics. lol

[Nick1150]

I totally get your point.

i am in the same stage. My 3 projectors (Benq MW817ST) are already mounted and running, I have already paid for fly elise warping software (no discussion about nthusim or warpilizer with those prices) and I am just thinking my alternatives about curved or flat screen....

I really cannot help in this thread, but I would like to listen...

[Sean Nixon]

I'm surprised at how much you think the warping blurs the image. Given that a projector image is pretty naff (low-res) to start with, I don't notice any deterioration when I warp my image (Nthusim). It's just as crap as the unwarped image.

[Sean Nixon]

If I were building a sim where most of the flying were VFR, then I don't think I'd be happy with projectors. But given almost, if not all my flying is IFR, even on clear days, I'm happy with the relatively cost effective 225 degree surround that 3 projectors give. When I'm taxying around I can read all the taxiway signs, gate numbers, etc.

It is nice to see pin sharp images that TV's offer, but then are the graphics in FSX that good anyway?

I think the way Scott is persuing X-Plane and TV's is the future mind.

[Marius@Warpalizer]

Same as Nthusim and Warpalizer... Blur City... It's the nature of the beast. Warping the image will make it blurry due to all the antialiasing and image manipulation.
Have you tried a curved screen with a properly set up warp and blend software before? :) It's not blurry at all, even not in the blend.

I don't know with Nthusim, but it's quite alot of Nthusim users.
With Warpalizer you can double the control points when adjusting the warping and blending so you can make tiny adjustements, making it easier to make the picture perfect. Do you think the Norwegian Air Force would want a blurry simulator?
Norwegian Air Force selected Warpalizer for there Lynx simulator - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o4Ej2UD_SA)

[GodAtum]

I'm also needing to make a decision. HD LCD/plasma Screens might give a sharper image but at the cost of an annoying bezel. 3 projectors give an uninterrupted image. But projectors need more room space, it is very hard to find a room with the required 2.5m ceiling.