Building your own LCD video projector (2 Viewers)

[ScottFurr]

Our results are atypical of what you will find on the DIYAudio forum. Which is why so many people are interested in what we've accomplished. There are one or two other builders that have also had incredible results. It's safe to say that the well built DIY projector can hold its own against any commercial LCD or DLP.

I see you have a rear projection TV as part of your home theatre. How much did you pay for that? And how does the quality compare to even a home built LCD projector?

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Correct, definitely not CLOSE-UP hi-rez photos.
Anyway, good luck and it does look like a good project for a college person or DIY fanatic (we don't know any of those do we? :b Probably a good project for an engineering class also.

 

[TimForman]

I agree with Hank (cuz even when I disagree I end up losing). I'm not about to trade in my big screen but I can't say that I've ever seen a projector for less than $1000 that was any good, even used. For $400 it's hard to argue against, other than there are obvious compromises. If I needed something on a very limited budget I just might go for it.

 

[Ches Campbell]

Well, I just kinda anwered my own question, but I'll share with everyone else what i found.
my question was...3) Do you have to use a computer? In other words, is the XGA cable the only type of connection, and if so, is there a way to convert it to say s-video or compnent video?
This is what i found...There is a thing called XGA Theater. It is about 120 bucks. Anyway, it has inputs for s-video, composite, xga, and coaxial cable, and it ouputs them in XGA. It comes with a remote also. Sounds pretty cool. Also, since it does not have component inputs i found a thing called xblaster. It converts component video to xga. I figured you could use this to convert to xga, then use the input on the xga theater, then use the output xga to go to the projecter, therefor allowing you to hook up composite, s-video, component, xga/svga/vga, and coaxial cable all going to one xga input on the projector. Costs a little extra, but will allow you to hook up HDTV one day. It won't be in 1080i, but I think LCDs are capable of 720. Not positive, but i am sure someone else kows. I can't afford HDTV anyway, so i don't care. Maybe by the time i can afford it, i can afford a real projector. Anyway, looks like i'll be making one this next summer. Can't wait.
Later

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Scott,

I can't say hot my RPTV compares to a home built LCD unless
I had both in house and calibrated to compare.. I can tell
you that there are numerous things my RPTV will do that NO
FP Setup will... Watchable in bright daylight is one of the
most important.. I don't have to replace no steenking bulbs
not $20.00 ones, not $600.00 ones...

My RPTV is NTSC and only 900 Lines of Horizontal Resolution
it's not High Definition by any standard and I didn't pay
as much for it as some would think.. (Retail at the time
was $3200.00 but I didn't pay that..)

I just don't think the results would be sufficient enough
to please me.. Cheap or not.. That's why I haven't ran out
and invested in a FP setup at all. I just am not impressed
by front projection setups unless you run something along
the lines of a $22K Sony 3CRT (G60?) none of the LCD,DLP
units impress me.. They all have poor blacks.. Poor contrast
compared to CRT and the pricey and short lived bulbs will
always keep me away from those setups.

I am just kicking back waiting for O-LED Technology to filter
into the HT world! It's only a matter of time

 

[Parker Clack]

Brett:


Me too!

I want to see how SCD looks too. I fell that OLED and SCD will be replacing LCD/DLP/LCOS/CRT as THE display technologies.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Parker,

Happy New Year bro!


O-LED is it! I can't wait! I have already seen traditional
advertising signs around here using RGB Clustered LED and
from 10' away it looks like a huge CRT or other technology!

O-LED is going to revolutionize the industry if the industry
will bring it to market! It may be "too cheap" and have too
long of a MTBF for it to be profitable?

 

[Chu Gai]

There's always a way to make something so that it fails in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Ches Campbell]

Hey guys,
Can you please explain what SCD and OLED are. I have never heard of those. All i can think is that OLED may stand for some something Light Emitting Display. Any links to info on them would be great. Thanks.

 

[Seth_L]

OLED is Organic Light Emitting Diode.

I hope no one is holding their breath for injet printable OLEDs. While it would be the silver bullet of displays it's not coming anytime soon.

As for the other variants of OLED dispalys they're still plagued with lots of problems and are very expensive and can not be manufactured with satisfactory yeilds, nor at a profit.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Seth,

You need to do more research on O-LED.. Kodak already has
brough to market a 2" O-LED Display in a Consumer digicam
that sells for LESS than $500.00 (same price point as the
similar Olympus it is based off of which actually has a
smaller 1.8 LCD).

The O-LED Display in the Kodak is superior to the LCD in
every imaginable way.

The technology is here... The cost is low compared to other
technologies. The real costs lie in the tooling not the
materials (the materials are cheaper than current material
and manufacturing).

If they can keep plugging along with the technology I would
expect to see at least 14-18" Displays with this technology
within the next 4 years.

 

[Seth_L]

No, really Brett I don't need to do more research.

I work for a flat panel display manufacturer that has an subsidiary working solely on OLED technology. Trust me when I say the technology is not ready for the mainstream. There are still problems with the technology. Differential aging, sunlight readability, cost of manufacturing, yeild rates, etc.

Last time I checked that camera is only available in Australia, and the Kodak/Sanyo OLED conglomerate sells that display at a loss to Kodak.

The cost is not low. The cost is incredibly high. If you remember the Motorola Timeport that had a multicolor OLED display a few years back (it looked like a silver timeport). Anyhow... the point is that Motorola paid ~$30 for each display and Pioneer lost money on everyone they shipped to Motorola. In today's market conditions a passive monochrome LCD of the same size with backlight would be likely less than $4. A color STN (passive) LCD would be likely less than $10.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Seth,

That camera is sold in the US,Oz and UK not sure about
Asia but I am sure it's available there also.

The only reason I could see why the cost would be higher at
this point is because production tooling and facilities
costs just to "make" the product, not that the actual
materials are more costly.

I am not familiar with the Motorolla Timeport.

But there is promise of the technology becomming the new
leader then selling at a loss is a great way to hold a
dominance in the market. Sony sells thier CCD's at a loss
just to hold the corner of the market share on CCD sales and
development.

They can write the stranded costs off and make them up on
another product line..

O-LED will be the next revolution IMHO.. Plasma and LCD sure
wasn't a revolution

of course these are my opinions and I am a nobody

 

[Seth_L]

The materials for OLEDs are expensive because the materials used in the manufacturing of OLEDs require levels of purity that are not normally available. The yield rates for the manufacturing process are very poor too.

It is not yet economically feasible to buid and sell OLEDs, or you'd actually see them on the market outside of various companies losing money selling them to themselves. Philips selling an electric razor with a Philips OLED in it, Kodak "selling" a camera with a Kodak/Sanyo OLED in it, Sanyo selling a PDA phone with a Kodak/Sanyo OLED in it don't qualify as proof of marketability.

I agree that OLED will be a substantial breakthrough when the last few technical hurdles are taken care of any it can be manufactured with pricing similar to TFT panels, but that day is a ways off.

I hope OLEDs don't end up like FEDs. They were going to take the market by storm too.

Also, please show me where I can buy a Kodak Easyshare LS633 in the US.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Seth,

I too hope they get the costs down and it doesn't fall by
the way side. I am not aware of what material costs currently
are but I would think long term the prices will fall dramaticaly
after the processes are tweaked and the technology is perfected.

As for the LS633 that wasn't the model I was reffering to
and upon further research it appears I had my models mixed
up! I meant the DX6490 and I thought it also had the 2.2"
O-LED but I guess I was mistaken.