ChrisSC
Auditioning
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i was wondering if any one could tell me how this worked?
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- Thread starter ChrisSC
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Jack Briggs
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Chris, what might you be asking about?
ChrisSC
Auditioning
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- Jan 6, 2005
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if this is actually worth spending money on or not
Benson R
Supporting Actor
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I think he is referring to those kits they sell on ebay that tell you how to build your own projection tv.
This has been discussed before and I believe the consensus was that it did work, but that the results were not good enough to justify the time and money. Also the instructions you get are very poorly written.
More promising was some computer site gave instructions on how to turn a 15 in lcd monitor into a front projector. I believe I saw a thread on that in the computer section of this forum. They seemed to get decent results, but the project still required close to 300 in parts. I think if your going to spend that kind of money you might as well buy something used. I keep hearing there are decent deals on used crts, plus there are some decent digital models available new for as low as 800.
This has been discussed before and I believe the consensus was that it did work, but that the results were not good enough to justify the time and money. Also the instructions you get are very poorly written.
More promising was some computer site gave instructions on how to turn a 15 in lcd monitor into a front projector. I believe I saw a thread on that in the computer section of this forum. They seemed to get decent results, but the project still required close to 300 in parts. I think if your going to spend that kind of money you might as well buy something used. I keep hearing there are decent deals on used crts, plus there are some decent digital models available new for as low as 800.
Kenny Foor
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Chris, as someone who has successfully built one of the diy lcd projectors, let me put my 2 cents in on this. The sites that tell you that you can build a working projo with a crt monitor are only half right. The end result is a blurry backwards image that isnt very bright. it may even damage your monitor by turning it upside down. Here are some results from it crt results I am not a pro but the projector I have built can rival the entry level commercial projos out there. Let me tell you of some of the good vs bad things about these.
First the good:
1-Availability of parts, you can easily find almost everything you need to start with.
2-Fairly inexpensive to build, I've heard of couple of members building a complete projector with as little as 200 dollars, but that was just a basic no-frills system,you get out of it what you put into it. I spent a little over $500.00 on mine and its great.
3-Bulb life,this is one of the main good points about the diy system. bulbs for a commercial projo can cost as much as the system itself and only last a couple thousand hours at max whereas the 400 watt metal halide lamp in the diy projo can last up to 20,000 hours and can be bought for as little as $35.00
4-Panel resolution. most entry level commercial projos I have seen have a max resolution of 800 x 600 whereas the one I built has a res of 1024 x 768@70hz. some of the new ones the lumenlab guys can go a lot higher, as i said its all in how much your budget is.
5-the WOW factor. I used mine at a halloween block party last year right after i finished building it. there were about 150 people that showed up and all were stunned about watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I got so many compliments about it. some people are even asking for me to come set it up in a shop for a super bowl party. needless to say it's an ego booster. Especially with the xbox
Now the bad:
1-Kind of hard to build if you don't have any mechanical experience. you have to be precise during measurments and cutting. the guide is kind of vague on this but thats where the forum members come in to help out.
2-projo is kind of big. The one i built is a little under 2 feet long and looks like a cheap rectangular box. There are some interesting designs on lumenlabs that some people are doing.
3-very heavy. When i built my box i used 3/4" plywood. With the pulse-strike ballast and other electronics I used my projo weighs in at around 40 pounds. Some people use 1/2" medium density fiberboard and thats a lot heavier than mine. When I started mine last year I wasn't just looking for some get out of buying a commercial one excuse, I built mine just to see if I could do it. I was plesantly surprised. In fact,I use it every night and have no desire to buy a commercial one.If you are still interested in doing one you should visit the forums over at Lumenlab This is by far the best site for this. The guide is very easy to understand and with purchase of it you gain total access to all of the forums. All of the members as well as the owner will be more than happy to assist you in every aspect of building it. Hope this helps you decide.
First the good:
1-Availability of parts, you can easily find almost everything you need to start with.
2-Fairly inexpensive to build, I've heard of couple of members building a complete projector with as little as 200 dollars, but that was just a basic no-frills system,you get out of it what you put into it. I spent a little over $500.00 on mine and its great.
3-Bulb life,this is one of the main good points about the diy system. bulbs for a commercial projo can cost as much as the system itself and only last a couple thousand hours at max whereas the 400 watt metal halide lamp in the diy projo can last up to 20,000 hours and can be bought for as little as $35.00
4-Panel resolution. most entry level commercial projos I have seen have a max resolution of 800 x 600 whereas the one I built has a res of 1024 x 768@70hz. some of the new ones the lumenlab guys can go a lot higher, as i said its all in how much your budget is.
5-the WOW factor. I used mine at a halloween block party last year right after i finished building it. there were about 150 people that showed up and all were stunned about watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I got so many compliments about it. some people are even asking for me to come set it up in a shop for a super bowl party. needless to say it's an ego booster. Especially with the xbox
Now the bad:
1-Kind of hard to build if you don't have any mechanical experience. you have to be precise during measurments and cutting. the guide is kind of vague on this but thats where the forum members come in to help out.
2-projo is kind of big. The one i built is a little under 2 feet long and looks like a cheap rectangular box. There are some interesting designs on lumenlabs that some people are doing.
3-very heavy. When i built my box i used 3/4" plywood. With the pulse-strike ballast and other electronics I used my projo weighs in at around 40 pounds. Some people use 1/2" medium density fiberboard and thats a lot heavier than mine. When I started mine last year I wasn't just looking for some get out of buying a commercial one excuse, I built mine just to see if I could do it. I was plesantly surprised. In fact,I use it every night and have no desire to buy a commercial one.If you are still interested in doing one you should visit the forums over at Lumenlab This is by far the best site for this. The guide is very easy to understand and with purchase of it you gain total access to all of the forums. All of the members as well as the owner will be more than happy to assist you in every aspect of building it. Hope this helps you decide.
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