Cheapest Projector

[Ponddude]

Alright everyone, so I know I am crazy, but I am planning next year. I will definitely have video in my display next year. I have been looking over projectors and they really are not cheap. Does anyone know of one that is cheap but still a semi decent quality?

I did find this one:

http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=13210

...I could probably make it work, but the problem is my computer does not have any RCA ports. Anyone know of a way of making this work?

[jstein]

do a search of this on ebay (VGA D-SUB ~ RCA, S-VIDEO Adapter for Sony Projector NEW) I believe that should work for the projector.

[Texan78]

I am sorry to have to tell you this but that won't work. It falls into the category of you get what you pay for. The lamp is only 50w and the projections distance is 6'.

One you get that outside the ambient light of your display and everything else will wash out the light from the projector and make it VERY had to see.

I know they are not cheap, but if you are going to want to put in video expect to lay down a couple of bens. Here is the one I used and it works great and looks great and still is fairly affordable. I connect it to my computer via S-Video and Cat5. I use S-Video/Cat5 dongles on each end with cat5 in between for my long runs because it is cheaper to find and run cat6 then some VGA or S-Video cord by itself. So not matter which one you get, make sure it has S-Video, but then again make sure your video card has S-Video connection. Mine does so it made things easier.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116389&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Projectors-_-ViewSonic-_-24116389

[evan.a]

Greg check this topic. dont know if the links still works. but it'll give you some ideas where to start and search.
http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum72/16279.html

[Ponddude]

Great guys!! Thanks so much for your help.

[Robin]

Do a search on PC. I remember seeing someone post about a projector there and it was very inexpensive and the video of it looked pretty good. I save the link but it expired so no longer have it.

[Paul C]

You might consider a LCD projection hack. Keeping this out of the elements would be a trick. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/153950/home_cinema/.

[Ponddude]

Hmmmm...thats pretty neat...

Question though...Wouldn't the screen freeze in the could? I have heard that LCD screens in cars sometimes freeze with the cold weather. Now granted we normally don't have that cold of temperatures in NJ in December (the 12 inches of snow outside say otherwise right now) but I could forsee that as a problem.

Can anyone confirm this?

[iresq]

Freeze in the could?

Yes, LCD's don't do well in could or in the cold.

[Paul C]

No the screen will not freeze, you will actually need a fan to keep it from melting the LCD screen. In the video there is a wafer fan rigged to the side blowing on the screen. I can remember in school burning my hand on the lenses of an overhead projector. Though once it is turned off, you might have some issue. At work we have touch screens out side in waste treatment, in nice NEMA 4x boxes of course.