Improving Dish Picture with backlighting

[Rlanham]

I found that using a "backlight" or bias lighting behind my RPTV greatly improved my Dish viewing experience. You can get a commercial version called IDEAL-LUME from http://www.cinemaquestinc.com/ideal_lume.htm
but I made my own, following their specs for 1/3 of the price.

A 18" Verilux Fluorescent Bulb, 6200K w/95 CI and a 18" corded fluorescent fixture for $19 total from Menards. Works great. I have it velcroed on the back of my Hitachi 57S700 RPTV. I did have to do some placement adjustments to get it just right. I leave it on all the time, 18W.. bulb should last 1.5 years. I always had a glare problem before I tried this using ambient lighting. Couldn't watch in complete darkness for long due to the eye strain. I highly recommend trying one if you haven't already.

 

[markdl]

That was the first thing I did as well when I got my Sony RPTV 3 years ago. Can't watch it without the backlight.

 

[DarrellP]

Just make sure you don't have colored walls or it will interfere with the TV's color. My EX wife was an Interior Designer and she would not believe me for nothing on this issue. But then, she thought a 13" tv was just ducky.

 

[BobMurdoch]

I've got a light grey painted wall and two lamps on top of a custom shelf that lines up perfectly with the top of my Sony KP57WV600 RPTV (This model has one of those severe curves at the top to try and fake you out that it is a flat panel (even though this puppy is about 2 feet thick). I've got two cheap Walmart lamps on top of the shelf on either side (reflected halogen onto a sheet of glass that backlights the wall wonderfully).

Eye fatigue sets in quick with the lights off. The lights have two settings, I usually use the low setting.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I've got a light grey painted wall and two lamps on top of a custom shelf that lines up perfectly with the top of my Sony KP57WV600 RPTV (This model has one of those severe curves at the top to try and fake you out that it is a flat panel (even though this puppy is about 2 feet thick). I've got two cheap Walmart lamps on top of the shelf on either side (reflected halogen onto a sheet of glass that backlights the wall wonderfully).

Eye fatigue sets in quick with the lights off. The lights have two settings, I usually use the low setting.

I have done the same thing with 2 walmart touch lamps(40 wat bulbs) for like $9.00 a piece sitting up high on a shelf behind the tv. I have a 1/2 moon shaped mirror behind them which reflects the light from them. They aim straight up to the ceiling like uplights. That is the only light I allow in the room when I am watching my 57 inch hd Toshiba tv.

 

[scottss810]

Saw this post and so intrigued, I started to play around with some lights I had around the house, but wasn't good enough. Went to Lowe's, Walmart, found a 24 inch light stick and a 20w 5000k bulb at Walmart. I have a built in entertainment center in my wall ,nothing fancy but had it built with a rpcrt in mine. I have thick movable white shelfs above my TV, 46 in Hitachi. What I did is get a 10" by 36" white laminate
shelfing board at Lowe's, about 5 bucks and mounted it vertical (using some L-brackets) at the back of the shelf, so with the piece of laminate mounted at the bottom of the shelf it hid all my cords going from my electronics down to my TV.
Then I mounted the light stick to the lowest point of the laminate board, this keep the
lamp being mounted near any wires or cords (since they are now hidden behind the laminate, and keeps the light from bleeding up the cracks of my movable shelf keeping
the electronics area dark. Also I used a Christmas tree foot switch electrical cord running under my TV to the front of it to turn the light on and off. I may not have described it that well, but all said it looks really Great, what a difference the light makes. What a great inexpensive project, much easier to view the TV and not have any other lights on, Terrific!!! The only thing I had to modify was I had to put a few strips of black electrical tape across the plastic cover of the light to keep too much light shining on the ceiling. I think I will do it to my Dad's TV this week, glad I saw this post, Thanks

 

[Rlanham]

Here is another cheap route, if you already have an uplight canister or lamp already nearby your system. $8.50 + ship

Mini Spiral Compact Fluorescent, 15 watt, screw-in bulb. Works in standard socket. Color Temperature 6500K, CRI 85, Lumens 900, User Hours 10000.

http://www.naturallighting.com/show_product.cfm?&product_id=264

 

[BobMurdoch]

Ah, it's always the little things that can make a big difference.....

Another improvement I made to the room was converting my former breezeway in my ranch house into the home theater room by installing these concrete sheet rock boards. (Killed the window behind the TV and made it a solid wall) Made of a composite material (a kind of gyp-crete) sound doesn't pass through them easily, including bass. The only sound that escapes the room is through the HVAC vents and the doors, since the room is on the far west of the house connected to the garage, and separated from the sleeping areas by a kitchen, then a living room, then a fireplace (with a hall wrapping around the fireplace to the bedrooms).

I get to watch Bruckheimer films in their loud bombastic glory while the kiddies sleep blissfully undisturbed. Two pocket doors slide closed, one to the kitchen, and one from the kitchen to the dining room minimize sound escaping. Voila, no "midnight theater" mode needed......

BTW, for those who don't know the story, my avatar is my dream theater. I don't have it yet, but hope to within the next 5 years when I convert my garage into a dedicated home theater, and build a new garage and a second floor onto my house for a master bedroom and home office.......

 

[DarrellP]

Looks good Bob, are you going to invite SatelliteGuys over for a Premier movie bash?

 

[BobMurdoch]

Hey an open invitation to all visiting the Jersey Shore (In Southeastern Monmouth County, directly across the Manasquan River from Point Pleasant Beach........

Gimme a call, I'll break out a cold one for us (Stella Artois, Molson Canadian, Yuengling, Labatt's Blue, Killian's, and Heineken all available), we can compare notes, and soak up either something I recorded off my 921, or a DVD... your choice.....

Integra 9.1 Receiver, 7.1 Surround Sound (all Polks... except for the JBL active Subwoofer I found for a steal price), Chandler and Joey approved sectional couch with two built in recliners with a pulldown armrest with two cupholders, massage chair controls, and a Get Smart-esque couch speakerphone. XBox and GameCube integrated into the receiver incl. HD cabling for both (actually the GameCube is Progressive and sent through the Component inputs, not HD). You haven't lived until you've played Halo in my theater....

As for the Home Theater pictured in my avatar, I'll announce something when I'm ready to go..... Need to pay down a lot of debt before I can take on the chunk necessary to build everything I want......