BYO Home Theatre Projector

[Jabba]

http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1576

This was the best link I've found so far and the one I think would work best. For more information, read on...

Something

[AmericanDemon]

The fresnal lens one doesnt do squat.  Its faint and blurry and not as advertised.  However look up how to build your own LCD Projector.  Now those work.  Uses an LCD from a flat panel, a nifty box, lens, projector bulb, and a lot of time.

[DrewKaree]

Hey Jabba, mosta yer questions are answered in the other threads on this topic scattered about the forum.  Someone here built one, but I'm working on something and typing this is about as "multi-tasked" as I'm getting tonight I can't find it (prolly cuz I didn't look too hard ), but look for Projectors or something like it.

Seems feasible though.  If there were a cheaper solution, I'd be doing one for movie night with the friends and neighbors and enjoy it outside with a nice fire and a coupla bottles of barley pop

[Jabba]

Thanks Drew, a few Links here weree found at BYOAC (doohh! must..search..here..first.....)

enjoy it outside with a nice fire and a coupla bottles of barley pop

Ahhhhhhh, I like the sound of that. Birch Fire...$2,00, Beer $15,

[crashwg]

BUY THE PLANS!

Not for the plans but for the access to the "members only" forums.  The plans themselves are semi outdated but still quite usefull, they explain the basic principals that make this posible.  The forums though... It's amazing how smart a group of people can be, they toss ideas out which bounce all over the place and eventually come up with some GREAT ideas.

I've had access to the plans and the forums since like April 25th or something like that and I'm sure glad I do.  Unfortunatly, I don't have the funds to build my projecter as of yet but when I do it'll damn sure be alot better than the overhead projecter crap from that Tom's hardware whatever!  The best part is that the whole project can cost less that 1 replacement buld for a comercial projecter!  I can't wait.

[edwardvci]

I will post some pictures of mine after I get home.

The members area has some great examples. The unit I built used the original plans and works really well. I does use 2 Fresnel lens, High quality custom lens, and a LCD screen (not laptop)  from a standard computer monitor you striped the monitor down to just the screen and electronics minus the backlight. You can not use the cheep Fresnel lens from eBay because they are cheep, low quality and they are to small. The members area has allot of newer and different test designs that make the unit smaller and diffrent sizes at diffrent distances. Mine is 1:1 ratio (if your unit is ten feet away you get a ten foot picture.

Also don't even consider the overhead projector panels almost all the units will not do full color or high resolution.


Will post projector and screen late tonight

[NiN^_^NiN]

I made one with a old overhead projector and a 7.6" OEM LCD

It looks great and i replaced the bulb in there with a 100w lamp globe

well i didn't replace i took the stuff out and added normal globes and wiring into it.

It works great and rocks.

But a word of advice

You need a GOOD video source

Mine is a composite LCD and looks ok not that great but when i use the digital tv as the source it's crystal clear

I tried cable and thats even worse than free to air

I hooked up my SNES and that souce looks fantastic

Here are some pics for you guys

This is a picture of the snes hooked up with the room light on
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/sma-projector.jpg

Ingame Screen
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/sma-projector2.jpg

Another ingame screen
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/sma-projector3.jpg

Picture of the projector in the dark as you can see the image on the LCD is whats projector in the above pics

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/sma-projector4.jpg


Now as you can see it's grainy all over the image this is the camera the image being displayed it crystal clear

But as i said for TV you NEED to use a clean HD source and i used my SD set top box.

Game consoles are clean sources (most fo them) n64 snes nes and even sms and megadrive all look great

can't say i've tried my c64 out on it yet but i will

[Jabba]

I will post some pictures of mine after I get home.

The members area has some great examples. The unit I built used the original plans and works really well. I does use 2 Fresnel lens, High quality custom lens, and a LCD screen (not laptop)

[edwardvci]

Sorry for the wait

below in pic one is my projector
pic two is of the screen to the left you can see the edge of the window and this room has a standard ceiling.

pic three and four projector in action

Pic 5 my current arcade machine that I will be gutting and turning into a NBA Jam Machine for the Kids at my church. then I will start on Arcade Machine #2 with a 27 inch screen

[edwardvci]

pic 3,4

[edwardvci]

pic 5. And no I do not play it sideways

[Jabba]

Hey edwardvci,

Thanks. The picture being displayed looks pretty real good. If you don't mind me asking, how much did that end up costing you to build? Any chance you can take and post a couple of pictures of the Unit's Guts for me? I would like to see how you went about putting it together. Also, abandon the new MAME cabinet, integrate your design into the projector. Nothing better than a 100' screen to play pacman on...

[edwardvci]

I never thought about hooking it up to the big screen. But I am going to try that its only about 4 feet away from the projector. I will post a couple of pictures when I do along with a picture of the guts.

[Ken Layton]

I've built several home motion picture theater projection systems for people, but they are very expensive. Here is what is typically needed:

2 - 35mm projector heads ($10,000 each)
2 - 35mm sound heads with reverse scan LED reader ($5,000 each)
2 - projector pedestals ($2,000each)
2 - upper reel arms ($500 each)
2 - lower reel arms ($500 each)
2 - 1,000 watt xenon lamphouse ($6,000 each)
2 - single phase 1,000 watt xenon power supplies ($3,500 each)
1-  Rack mounted Dolby or DTS digital sound system ($20,000 for Dolby or $10,000 for DTS)
1 - perforated matte white screen, 10' h x 24' w ($1,000)
1 - houselight dimmer (Kelmar brand, 2600 watt capacity) $900

As you can see, assembling your own home motion picture theater projector and screening room is very expensive. Of course the people I built these for several years ago were not concerned with money since they are multi-millionaires anyway.

[PaulG]

I've built several home motion picture theater projection systems for people, but they are very expensive. Here is what is typically needed:

2 - 35mm projector heads ($10,000 each)
2 - 35mm sound heads with reverse scan LED reader ($5,000 each)
2 - projector pedestals ($2,000each)
2 - upper reel arms ($500 each)
2 - lower reel arms ($500 each)
2 - 1,000 watt xenon lamphouse ($6,000 each)
2 - single phase 1,000 watt xenon power supplies ($3,500 each)
1-  Rack mounted Dolby or DTS digital sound system ($20,000 for Dolby or $10,000 for DTS)
1 - perforated matte white screen, 10' h x 24' w ($1,000)
1 - houselight dimmer (Kelmar brand, 2600 watt capacity) $900

As you can see, assembling your own home motion picture theater projector and screening room is very expensive. Of course the people I built these for several years ago were not concerned with money since they are multi-millionaires anyway.

 

Oh, man.  I saw Ken Layton as the last poster and thought he was gonna have plans for a super-cheap, super amazing kit that he's put together.

BUY THE PLANS!

Not for the plans but for the access to the "members only" forums.  The plans themselves are semi outdated but still quite usefull, they explain the basic principals that make this posible.  The forums though... It's amazing how smart a group of people can be, they toss ideas out which bounce all over the place and eventually come up with some GREAT ideas.

I've had access to the plans and the forums since like April 25th or something like that and I'm sure glad I do.  Unfortunatly, I don't have the funds to build my projecter as of yet but when I do it'll damn sure be alot better than the overhead projecter crap from that Tom's hardware whatever!  The best part is that the whole project can cost less that 1 replacement buld for a comercial projecter!  I can't wait.

I've screwed around on the free portion and it definelty hinted at some cooler things that they were doing.  For the people posting who are getting really good results, what exactly is the price range they're in?  Thanks!

[edwardvci]

For good quality projector

[edwardvci]

the guts