need cheap projector

[nicco]

Hey this is nicco again and i was wondering if it would be possible to buy a cheap projector for playing DVD's on my wall or cieling in my bedroom somehow. Everything i see on the net seems to be outragously expensive for somthing that seems to have been out for a long time now. Even my school has them. I'm hoping i can get this around 50-150 dollars. If you know anything about them please tell. thxs

[Monaco]

projectors that hook to your PC or A/V equipment are fiendishly complicated items, they are really expensive as a rule- they been out fore a while, but they are still extremely hi-tech.

The cheapest I've seen is $1500 for a Sony tabletop model, but the resolution is horrible and the pic is all washed out.

Unfortunately, $50-150 will not even buy a single replacement bulb for a projector. :)

Best bet if you really must have one without spending mad $$$ is to get a regular overhead projector and the adaptor that lets it display PC images. My school used those, they were not nearly as good the real thing but went for only like $800 total.
Which is still a lot.

[CrystalMethod]

Found one that's a little cheaper. $1349.00 made by a company called Optoma. Bottom of the page here. (http://www.allprojectors.com/acb/showprod.cfm?&DID=7&ObjectGroup_ID=137&CATID=17)

[kevin_bouchard]

This site (http://www.100inchtv.com/) has an ideal on how to project an image onto an wall, the ideal behind it is by using a fairly bright tv(or a monitor) and magnifying the image from the tube to the wall. I have tried this may times but you need a bright tv and the room has to be really dark. Also you have to box in the magnifying glass into a box with the inside being painted black.

the cheapest way i have ever seen, in total shouldn't cost 150$.

Hope this helps.

P.S dont buy there instructions, if you want a more in dept diagram/instructions on how to built, post.

[RainMaQer]

My fiance's aunt went to the Goodwill for something and found one for $50... she took it to a computer store and they quoted that it was worth around $1500 and works perfectly:D

[nicco]

Well maybe this might work. If i got one of those TV projectors and got a viddy card that has TV out and i pluged the comp into the tv and the tv into the projjy. Would that work? how much do TV projectors go for? whats their name? could i find it at a fleemarket?

[nicco]

Hmm sounds like aplan. I checked out that site you referred to me. Seems kinda risky to my ears. I dont really trust their site and how they say if you follow directions it will work great and all. But i am interested on how to do it anyhow.

[Monaco]

that 100inchTV thing looks like a giant scam to me. The site is covered in links to FREE FREE FREE everything, not to mention the 3 day 2 night vacation for $10 and the $15 piece of clear plastic( highly preferred!). I don't trust places that offer to sell the Ultimate Device, than try to sell you just the plans.

Especially since they do not give even the slightest clue how it is supposed to work. If you could achieve the effect of a $30,000 projector with $20 of duct tape or whatever, I think we would have all heard about it by now:)

Projectors are just really really expensive, there's no way around it. Even the cheap crappy ones are in the thousands. A decent Vidikron 3-beam starts at $12K!!

Well if you do decide to order the 100inchTV let us know how it works, I think it is bogus but I've been wrong before:)

[Intraveinous]

It does work, uses a Frensel (SP?) Lense to magnify the image... Problem is that it also turns it upside down, so you have to run your TV upside down to have a rightside-up picture... Also, the CRT of a standard TV is not meant to be projected, so it can end up very dim... don't plan on watching anything with one of these setups any time except during the night, with all the windows closed and the lights off, if you're lucky. So all in all, it's not a scam, but it's not the miracle it claims to be either...
Peace
John

[Monaco]

Huh! Sounds like a film-to-camcorder adaptor in reverse!

Well, I'm glad you got it to work, but personally I think I would pass on it. I'm not risking running my TV upside down. If I want the bigger picture I just sit closer:):)

[kevin_bouchard]

When i built my projector(which is based on the same ideal as 100inchtv.com) I used 2 lens one that was slightly larger than the screen and one that was fairly small, i used the the biggest one to shrink the image from the tv(and at the same time making it upside down, then used the smaller one to enlarge the image and flip it back right side up. Like I mentioned before, don't buy the plans, its a very easy ideal and should be free!!!
And Intraveinous is totally right about it being dim(it helps if you have a bigger brighter tv to start off with) but it seems to work great in a room with no windows and the walls painted black,but having the image projected onto a white surface.

[nicco]

Where would i be able to get these lenses? what kind? are they relatively cheap? thxs

[kevin_bouchard]

I got one of the lenses I used from a onld overhead projector(big one), and i got the other one(small one)from one of those projectors that you place a page of paper under a lamp and it is projected onto a screen(light doesnt travel throught the paper like the overhead), so thats what i would be looking for, you can try local hardware stores, i think a big one would cost about 40$cnd but havent bought any lately.

[nicco]

do you have anypictures of it?

[kevin_bouchard]

unfortunately i dont since i dont have a digital camera but when i fix my pc at home(currently at school) i will draw some plans on how to make it.

[Captain Slug]

The easier solution is to buy an older\floor model Rear projection TV (Price range $500-$1000) and a scan convertor (Price range $70-$150).
In order to get any real image quality out of a projector you're looking at spending $2500 or more. Plus setting it up right is a pain, and most likely won't look as good as a rear-projection TV during the day time.

[kevin_bouchard]

here is the pic, and yes i know i dont draw good, but you can get ideal atleast:D

[Starfoxer]

maybe cheack pricewatch