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Author Topic: First DIY Projector Test Pics Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 08-30-2006 05:56 AM                        Hi all I have my DIY digital projector almost complete. The Liesegang Data Display 180 panels I bought work perfectly which is great news. I am using one of these with my Gilkon 250 watt overhead projector. I have ordered a TV box to convert a PAl signal from a DVD player to a signal that the LCD panel can display. Oddly enough the two panels I have purchased have the holes for the A/V connections but the relevant board and sockets were not installed in either panel. I have taken a large number of high resolution photos and put them on my website. I will not upload them onto Film-Tech because people will want to see the highest resolution possible. Please note some photos appear smudgy but that is due to the fact that I am taking a photo of a realvideo video. Also in real life the image is much brighter - the slight darkness is caused by the limited exposure time of my digital camera. Here are 2 sample pics Did some punk somebody criticise my projector? Do you feel lucky? Also Slight white spot in the middle but this is in part due to the high reflectivity and glossiness of the white melamine board I am projecting onto. As I am unable to post more than 2 images here is a link to a further 30 or so pictures of the projector in action. other high resolution photos My observations thus far 1. Panel has sharper, clearer resolution on 800 x 600 setting as 1024 x 768 is interpolated. 2. 16.7 million colors in menu 3. Seems to have a good response time 4. Colors at this stage are oversaturated but this can be corrected later 5. Good brightness in dark conditions 6. Photos are all of an image about 1.2 metres square. Could be made a little bigger and still be quite watchable 7. Distance of ohp to screen was about 4 metres 8. Panel is reasonably quiet and will run on 12v. 9. There is a bright spot in the middle of the screen but in part this is due to the high reflectivity of the white Melamine board I am projecting onto. In a few days my Tv box should arrive and I will hook the projector up to a dvd player and we shall see what the result is. cheers Peter [ 08-30-2006, 09:19 PM: Message edited by: Peter Berrett ]  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 09-07-2006 01:07 AM                        Peter it seems standard that everyone is using a PC connected to LCD panel to produce the image via windows media player, I am curoius as to if it is possible to send signal direct to a LCD panel from a DVD player via a VGA to RCA adaptor ?  |  IP: Logged Paul Trimboli Master Film Handler Posts: 274 From: Perth Western Australia Registered: Dec 2002 posted 09-07-2006 04:48 AM                     Phil have a look around and you will find some of the cheap dvd players have VGA right on the back. Dick Smiths has a pack with a DVD player with every output and plays back every format and included a STB all for $140 which would be what you need.  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-07-2006 05:48 AM                        Dear Phil My dvd player only has rca and s-video out but if you can find a more direct way to wire a panel to a dvd panel that will save you a few $$$. I have now finished my projector setup having purchased the following tv box TV Box The TV Box effectively converts the rca outputs of my dvd player to the svga plug type which is the input for the panel. There is no computer required in this way - the conversion is done by the TV Box. I have heard that using a computer however can improve the picture quality. Brightness, contrast etc can be adjusted on both the panel and the tv box but color saturation is only adjustable on the TV box. The tv box comes with a remote which is handy. Leaving aside the unused second lcd panel I purchased (which also works fine) I calculate the cost of my setup as about $A200 all up which is a bargain. Theres is no major change to the images I have published already other than I have a slight brighter patch in the middle of the screen (due to the lamp) and my current screen is highly reflective which causes some glare. The setup is not as good as a good super8 or 16mm film but thenn again there are no scratches, fading etc. THe color reproduction is not perfect but quite watchable and infinently better than a print gone red. regards Peter  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-12-2006 07:22 AM                     For the entire set up, $200!!. Gee my DVD player alone cost more me than twice that amount.  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-13-2006 04:49 AM                         |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-13-2006 07:24 PM                     Then again I am always impressed by (and prefer) the images on my 32" 16:9 CRT T.V. And I can always go in to where I work and put up the film (DVD) on the big screen through our Dreamvision DLP projector. But a big screen is a big screen and the fact that you have made something work the way you have is pretty cool.  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-22-2006 10:00 PM                        John Phil's setup is almost complete as well. It will be interesting to see his comments on performance - pros/cons etc. If you ever want to have a look at my setup just give me a call. I'm in the phone book in Boronia. I am keen to get independent comments on the setup. On Thursday evening I had Nasa TV up on the big screen (streaming through the Internet). An hour before the shuttle was due to land I saw that the shuttle would pass south west of Melbourne. My daughter and I ran outside and watched as first the ISS passed by, shortly followed by the Shuttle. I then went and watched my screen for the next hour as the Shuttle flew over the pacific and then landed at Florida. A simply awesome experience to watch and a memory I will cherish for a long time. cheers Peter [ 09-23-2006, 01:30 AM: Message edited by: Peter Berrett ]  |  IP: Logged John Koutsoumis Master Film Handler Posts: 261 From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-25-2006 07:19 PM                     Thanks Peter, I may well take you up on that offer. Right now though I am tied up with so much stuff. Will you be completing any additional projectors or is this a one off?  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 10-07-2006 09:32 PM                        I have now completed by DIY digital projector setup. I obtained an ex school Bell & Howell 250w overhead projector purchased a New tv to lcd coverter box and Peter sold me one of his LCD projection panels. I had an existing 2metre screen for 16mm stuff. I got quite a shock when placing the projector in its desired location about 12 feet from screen that i ended up with an image over 10 foot wide ! Next step , make new screen. Like Peter I was very impressed with the end result. With the room dark The image was sharp and bright and the colours were not too bad considering hardware is some years old. All up it cost just over $200 Aus . When looking at the cost over results the project was well worthwile and displays an Image not far off what equipment worth many thousands of dollars would. I will put some images up here after I get the new larger screen sorted out. Phil  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 10-07-2006 11:25 PM                        quote: John Koutsoumis Thanks Peter, I may well take you up on that offer. Right now though I am tied up with so much stuff. Will you be completing any additional projectors or is this a one off? This is a one off John. I may upgrade the setup with a better OHP or try using a modified lcd monitor at some stage but for time being I am happy with my setup and the kids love it One side benefit of using a tv box I have discovered is that there is a tv tuner built in. So all one has to do is add a tv aerial and one can watch free to air tv on the projection setup. This is good for watching the footy (football). Phil: If you have a large white wall at your place take the setup outside and shine it on the wall. There is nothing quite like having a drive-in theatre sized picture in your backyard! Also one piece of additional equipment that is very useful is a stereo fm transmitter. One can then transmit the audio to an FM radio placed under the screen. RIP Film: Long live DIGITAL!!! cheers Peter  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 10-13-2006 11:59 PM                        quote: RIP Film: Long live DIGITAL!!! Traitor!  |  IP: Logged Peter Berrett Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 602 From: Victoria, Australia Registered: Nov 2000 posted 10-14-2006 06:21 AM                        quote: Charles Greenlee Traitor Just Joking But I must admit watching open-source movies and cartoons (eg Southern Fried Rabbit) downloaded from the Internet and projected on the big screen is a lot of fun. cheers Peter  |  IP: Logged Charles Greenlee Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 801 From: Savannah, Ga, U.S. Registered: Jun 2006 posted 10-15-2006 03:32 AM                        Yeah, I'd imagine so. I wish I could do it too.  |  IP: Logged

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