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Author Topic: Very inexpensive, low quality projector  (Read 8372 times)

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Howard_Casto

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Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« on: November 12, 2019, 11:09:15 pm »
I just wanted to share what I think is a decent deal. 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Window-FX-Window-FX-Plus-Projector-Kit-28088/304865437

The resolution is supposed to be 320x480, which is low for most applications, but should be ok for retro games as they are usually 240p.  Home Depot is desperate to get rid of these so they might be duds, but for 20 bucks I'm getting one to play with.  If nothing else I'll use it for it's intended purpose assuming I get the time/motivation to decorate for Christmas. 


pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2019, 09:52:41 am »
$24.35 shipped?   :lol   I'm in.


javeryh

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2019, 10:10:16 am »
I think I might be in on this too... even if I just use it as intended it seems like fun.  Do they work?

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2019, 10:15:36 am »
For $25, even if it sucks, I'll use it to project random ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- on my gameroom ceiling.

 :dunno

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2019, 01:23:14 pm »
For $25, even if it sucks, I'll use it to project random ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- on my gameroom ceiling.

 :dunno

That was my thought.  Projecting images on stuff, even poor quality images can be fun. 

Drnick

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2019, 02:33:05 pm »
My brother uses a small projector like this to project fairly simple drawn images onto walls so he basically scales up the original image and then draws the image directly on the wall :)     

Mike A

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2019, 03:32:26 pm »
They sell projectors like that at hobby stores.

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2019, 08:41:43 pm »
Yes but they cost more than $25 and they don't have hdmi in. 

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2019, 09:33:47 pm »
His mom goes to college.

BadMouth

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2019, 06:52:17 am »
Broke down and bought one after drnick's comment.

Damn I can't keep myself from buying crap online when it's slow at work.



Mike A

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2019, 07:22:48 am »
You guys will buy anything.

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2019, 08:51:29 am »
You guys will buy anything.

Do you know where I can buy a time machine?  I want to go back to the 80s and visit a "hobby store."


 ::)


Mike A

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2019, 08:54:50 am »
You mean like Hobby Lobby? They are everywhere. No time machine necessary.

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2019, 08:57:13 am »
Someone calls the cops every time I walk into Hobby Lobby.  Apparently testicles are unwelcome there.

 :dunno

Mike A

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2019, 08:59:32 am »
There is definitely a distinct vibe when you walk into one of those stores.

Osirus23

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2019, 01:14:20 pm »
Hobby Lobby seems like a store that carries everything, yet whenever I go there looking for something specific they don't have it.

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2019, 08:42:09 pm »
It arrived.  Has enough juice onboard to power a chromecast.  Built in speaker actually isn’t terrible.  Need to figure out a way to smooth out the screen it came with.  Looks pretty good, to be honest.  I bought this to last through one outdoor party and I think it’ll make it.

 :cheers:

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2019, 11:12:36 pm »
Ceiling of my gameroom, ambient room lighting on, via my PlayStation classic. Fan is kinda loud on this thing during silence.


Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #18 on: November 19, 2019, 01:07:04 am »
Our mail sucks... still haven't gotten mine yet.  You are supposed to put the screen between some towels and iron it or something like that.

It looks pretty decent from the pics you posted. 

Ever since I built my pac-man I've wanted to do some custom, hand-painted side art.  I might use this to trace it on... it'd sure be quicker than printing out 30 sheets of paper and taping them together.  I also thought it might be cool to hang up some scrim and play castlevania outside on trick or treat night next year.  Considering we got two trick or treaters this year it might be a wasted effort though. 

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #19 on: November 19, 2019, 10:30:07 am »
Guess I should mention that the first pic is on the outside of my house on the included screen.  Picture quality is fine, I could get all of the text legible and navigate menus in RetroArch.  Onboard power supply was able to drive the Playstation Classic, thumbdrive, and controller with a 20 foot cord without problem.  I suck at video games but didn't notice much lag.  Putting the noise correction setting on OFF got the best results.

The included videos on the thumbdrive that comes with the projector are actually pretty good.  The stand it comes with is horrible.  Line up a tripod now.

Anyway, I figured this was a stripped down version of the same $60ish LED projector that Amazon sells a million clones of.

 :cheers:

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2019, 02:48:04 pm »
Back in stock at Home Depot....

 :cheers:

Mike A

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2019, 02:56:17 pm »
It is nice that something that cheap worked out so well.

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #22 on: November 19, 2019, 03:40:55 pm »
Even if it doesn't, that's part of the adventure.  Buying cheap stuff just for the heck of it is great because you get to play around with something you wouldn't normally buy.  If it doesn't work out.. oh well.  We gotta get you in cheap deals society Mike.  One of us... one of us... one of us....

Mike A

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #23 on: November 19, 2019, 04:55:38 pm »
I just don't want to accumulate all of that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. I have enough crap between my woodworking and my arcade stuff. Last year I gutted my barn. This last month I gutted my basement. I still have too much ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.
I enjoy reading about your adventures. I give you guys ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- from time to time, but you know how to take it.

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #24 on: November 19, 2019, 05:18:35 pm »
If I want to spike my blood pressure and make my eye twitch all I have to do is think about all the crap I have.  I used to move every couple of years and purge things..... ---goshdarn--- all this financial stability offered by Houston.

 :lol

Locke141

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #25 on: November 19, 2019, 06:08:15 pm »
The whole projector market has exposed recently. You can now pick up 1080P projector fairly affordable ass well.


720p options on the cheep.


1080p for US $34.59 - 34.99

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #26 on: November 19, 2019, 08:00:51 pm »
The whole projector market has exposed recently. You can now pick up 1080P projector fairly affordable ass well.


720p options on the cheep.


1080p for US $34.59 - 34.99

I think you sent us the wrong links or something. 

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #27 on: November 19, 2019, 10:16:48 pm »
It’s weird to see people get so butthurt over $22.50.  I remember getting caught up in a flame war about Angry Birds on this forum once.  It was freaking 99 cents.  Like we haven’t pumped quarters into worse games a thousand times already.

Anyway, Howard, let me know if you figure out what the smaller screw on the bottom of the unit is for.

 :cheers:

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #28 on: November 19, 2019, 11:03:39 pm »
Agreed.  It's not like we bought an arcade 1up or something.   :P  I don't really accumulate stuff anymore because I do a purge of anything I don't like or don't use every spring.  So I try stuff out and if I decided to get rid of it goodwill or the mountain mission have something to sell. 

I'm still waiting on mine... I think the UPS  man is delivering stuff late on purpose to ---fudgesicle--- with me.  The tracking said it was in South Charleston (40 min away) at 8 this morning and it was out for final delivery..... it never showed up and I've been outside putting up xmas lights most of the evening, so I know the dude never showed. 

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #29 on: November 20, 2019, 08:05:20 pm »
Mine came in this evening.   Seems to work well but the built in interface is a tad clunky.  Yeah that stand is laughable. 

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #30 on: November 20, 2019, 09:12:35 pm »
Pics or it didn’t happen


BadMouth

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #31 on: November 20, 2019, 09:15:34 pm »
Screen door effect is not emulated, lol.
Pixels are nice and crisp though.
Running off 12v opens up some possibilities.

Fan sounds bad, but for $23 I'm happy.

Edit:  projected on an off white wall.  Not sure if I'm going to spring for blackout fabric for a screen.  Where did I put those Joanne Fabrics coupons?


« Last Edit: November 20, 2019, 09:18:09 pm by BadMouth »

pbj

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #32 on: November 20, 2019, 09:21:38 pm »
Someone should crack theirs open and check out the fan situation......

Howard.


Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #33 on: November 21, 2019, 01:36:25 am »
Eh I'm not ready to break it yet.  Pics will follow when I have more time. 

So for it's intended purpose  I've been looking around for vids.  I was going to give atmosfx my business until I saw that they charge 10 bucks for about 2 minutes of footage.  It'd cost a few hundred to buy their entire collection. The usual channels have some on torrent, but you have to search for "atmosfearfx" and obviously it's only Halloween stuff.  Surely there has to be some freeware "homebrew" vids out there.  I guess I could put on gremlins and die hard.   >:D

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #34 on: November 21, 2019, 08:51:36 am »

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #35 on: November 21, 2019, 09:08:47 am »
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is the only reasonable choice.

Howard_Casto

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #36 on: November 21, 2019, 02:13:30 pm »
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Christmas+projection+loop

That seems to be the magic search.

 :cheers:

ugh... I haven't ripped youtube vids in probably a decade.  Apparently the Christmas stuff is atmoscheerfx, although I haven't found any torrents yet.  These puns are worse than mine.  Hooked it up to my pc last night and played a quick game of tmnt and umk3.  Games look great, but the command prompt doesn't so a front-end would be required. 

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #37 on: November 21, 2019, 05:23:03 pm »
I got mine today. The box had been opened, the power plug was flopping around in the home depot shipping bag, and the inside tray was all cracked up. The projector works, with the exception of the USB drive. At least whoever had it before me only blew up the thumb drive, and didn't simply swap it out with their own.

It's not really worth returning the whole thing, but I can try getting a replacement drive from totalhomefx.

The built-in player works better than I expected. It understands avi, mpg, mkv (handled 1080p), and vob (at least), but as the instructions say, nothing with dolby sound.

Nice toy for $25 bucks.

Window fx drive: looks well touched.

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #38 on: November 21, 2019, 09:05:44 pm »
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is the only reasonable choice.

what about Darth Santa?

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Re: Very inexpensive, low quality projector
« Reply #39 on: November 22, 2019, 10:11:10 am »
I made an archival backup copy of the USB drive in case anyone else has one that explodes on them.

 :cheers: