Build your own projector for $300

clive

clive

Hi Guys

In the course of researching my current distribution projects I came across this article. It's a very, very clever piece of techno geekery which suggests you can build a HDTV projector for under $300. It's avery reliable source of hardware info. :cool:

Tom's Hardware

Thought I'd share it with you.
 
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That's really interesting, but the Tom's Hardware guys designed the OHP projector/Projector after trying to build a projector just like the lumenlab one.

I think the whole build was sort of a techno rebuttal of that idea. In fact they mention building a projector from a $20 plan (which the lumenlab plans are) which was why they explored other avenues.

I've passed both sets of plans onto my favorite techno-geek (and best mate), who is probably stripping down OHPs and cutting plywood as we speak. If he build either or both I'll let you guys know.
 
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Tom's Hardware next step-by-step guide should be "How to make your overhead projector blend in with your living room decor."

Honestly, if I had an extra $300 and a woman that was willing to live with a overhead projector in the living room, I'd probably give this a go.
 
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Honestly, if I had an extra $300 and a woman that was willing to live with a overhead projector in the living room, I'd probably give this a go.
Click to expand...

There isn't any man alive who hasn't said that at some point in their life.
 
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I built the lumeblab one in a weekend at my folks house (my dad has all the good tools) it wasn't too terribly difficult. but I had bent the lcd a bit when I put it in so it was all screwed up color wise, plus the picture was just TOO big.. I'm talking about like a 10 foot diagonal screen projected onto a wall I was only able to sit about 6 feet from.

So I eventually refit the thing with a smaller 7 inch lcd panel (which was also 16:9 instead of standard 4:3) but then I was having problems with the light or something.. never did figure out what it was, but after watching for like 2 minutes I would get a very bad headache... I still have it all sitting mostly assembled on the floor in the living room (benefit of living alone!) But I haven't had the time to do anything else with it.
 
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One of the advantages of the OHP projector system is that your projecting from a source with a larger surface area.

The reason projectors are so expensive is because of the resolution issues on the lcd's, which have to be small to fit in the projector.

It's the same issue that you have in stills photography, the larger the negative the larger the print size you can achieve.

So with the OHP you have the equivalent of a 15" negative which means that your resolution issues practially disappear.

What I'm looking at now is building a sound system in as well, probably from car stereo amplifiers, because the power is stepped down to 12V inside the projector and 12V car amplifiers having incredible output for their cost and size.
 
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This is so wrong...

I'm just have to build one.

The OHP chassis needs a little modification to make the cooling more efficient and house a motherboard, hard drive and DVD drive. Wireless keyboard and mouse... maybe a low power FM transmitter plugged into the sound card so I can use my existing 5.1 surround config.

Great. Just great... look what you've done, Clive. How can I concentrate on movies when there are gadgets to be built?
 
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