Homemade projector?

[JaceTheAce]

Has anyone made a makeshift projector out of a flat panel LCD monitor and overhead projector? I heard it's been done and as long as the screen is clear enough, it'll project a decent image. Remember, I am on a BIG budget!

I figured I could place my laptop screen over the overhead with the light bulb off (assuming the screen will be bright enough to throw a bright enough image onto the wall).

 

[Rocky]

what for, just buy an infocus sp4805. it will yield better results and only run you only about 700-800 bucks

 

[westcott]

Has anyone made a makeshift projector out of a flat panel LCD monitor and overhead projector? I heard it's been done and as long as the screen is clear enough, it'll project a decent image. Remember, I am on a BIG budget!

I figured I could place my laptop screen over the overhead with the light bulb off (assuming the screen will be bright enough to throw a bright enough image onto the wall).

If you do a search at Toms Hardware archive, I think you will find an article on how it was done if you really are interested in this approach.

I agree with the others. Prices have dropped so low that I am sure you can find a projector that will fit your budget.

www.projectorcentral.com would be a good place to start.

 

[Rocky]

ive investigated DIY projectors on sites such as diyprojectorcompany.com and toms hardware guide, but im convinced that you will receive a much more versatile that projects much higher quality images for a fraction more then what you would pay to build a DIY projector. Also, in order to hook laptop screens up to anything other then a laptop, you will need a special converter which costs upwards of 200$

 

[sploo]

Hi all,

I put together a DIY project, based on a cheap 14" LCD monitor and a fairly decent Overhead Projector (OHP).

You can see some pics of it here:

http://spikyfish.com/1.jpg
http://spikyfish.com/2.jpg
http://spikyfish.com/3.jpg

I would note the following:

If you are going to do this, then get a decent LCD. I bought the cheapest I could find (as I didn't know if it would work) and the contast ratio is poor - anything from dark grey to black is, well, dark grey.

A very powerful OHP is probably not required. The one I got is over 4000 lumens, and I permanently run it in economy mode.

A decent OHP lens is required. A triple element (triplet) lens will give you a very sharp image (close to the projection screen I can see individual pixels - the monitor is 1024x768).

In my third image (which is actually my living room in the middle of being decorated) shows the size of the cabinet I made to house the LCD panel, OHP, and a PC to drive the display.

The dark marks on the top of the box are two 120mm PC fans, which blow air down a duct, onto the surface of the LCD panel. You really do need this, as the panel gets very warm. Also, DO NOT raise the panel off the surface of the OHP glass - the light is concentrated to the lens as you go higher, and the heat is immense.

I call the cabinet 'the fridge'. It's big, white, spits out tons of heat (the OHP alone takes 500w) and is noisy (about 50dB) due to the OHP and PC cooling fans.

Also, the restricted throw ratio of the OHP lens means that to get my 2m (approx 80") wide image, I can't put the projector any further away from the screen. In order words, you've got a large noisy box, pretty much exactly where you want to sit.

My projector has been running for about a year, and it's been sufficiently used to make me certain that I could justify buying a real one.

It cost less than 300GBP to make, and an InFocus 4805 (which I'm considering) is over twice that here in the UK.

Apart from the fact that my DIY unit has 'HD' resolution, and the 4805 doesn't, I'm certain the 4805 will give a better picture, be quieter, much smaller, and can be placed further back from the viewing position (so less noise due to distance).

DIY projectors - horses for courses. If you can afford a proper projector, then go for it. The DIY option is fun, but be prepared to do a fair bit of tweaking. If you have an old 14 or 15" LCD monitor, and can score an OHP for a good price, then give it a go.

 

[brian32672]

DIY projectors - horses for courses. If you can afford a proper projector, then go for it. The DIY option is fun, but be prepared to do a fair bit of tweaking. If you have an old 14 or 15" LCD monitor, and can score an OHP for a good price, then give it a go.

I think this says it all.
All of the diy projects I have seen, have looked washed out.
And any even fairly cheap projector will give better results.
Here are the THG links you are talking about.
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/11/13/supersize_your_tv_for_/
and the second part
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/12/01/build_your_own_xga_projector_ii/

 

[mtrycrafts]

Has anyone made a makeshift projector out of a flat panel LCD monitor and overhead projector? I heard it's been done and as long as the screen is clear enough, it'll project a decent image. Remember, I am on a BIG budget!

I figured I could place my laptop screen over the overhead with the light bulb off (assuming the screen will be bright enough to throw a bright enough image onto the wall).

Am I understanding you correctly here? You are trying to project a visible image using a LCD TV itself as a projector? How many lumens and foot-Lambert do you think that can project?

I would not sink nickle into that experiment.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Am I understanding you correctly here? You are trying to project a visible image using a LCD TV itself as a projector? How many lumens and foot-Lambert do you think that can project?

I would not sink nickle into that experiment.

That may be what he was thinking originally, but it is actually done with LCDs without a casing around them. So, a laptop LCD, with the LCD removed and the built in backlight removed. Just the LCD itself in a nice square frame.

Then that LCD is combined with an overhead projector (OHP) like you saw in grade school.

I've gotta say, the images I see really show that it is possible and fairly impressive. But, the work involved in making one is crazy. I figure someone can mow laws for a few weeks and have enough to get a refurbished projector that'll blow away the DIY unit.

Plus, regular projectors are quieter, achieve better contrast, don't have the same motion issues as they use panels optimized for video. They have proper video inputs, HD inputs (usually), DVI/HDMI inputs (often).

Neat for fun, but a lot of work and a fair bit of money if you really want a killer image. I have seen the InFocus SP4805 as a refurbished unit for as low as 500 bucks at times. That's a killer image for a great price.