Projector Ideas

[JSpahn]

Hello guys, Im toying with the idea of ripping my cockpit apart and starting anew. Im gonna sell my goflight mcp pro and a couple other elements so I can buy a projector. I know rottydaddy you are the resident expert and I would like some input on which one to get.

Im hopeful I can utilize a widescreen layout best case 1080i/p but Ill settle for 720. The kicker is Im not interested in spending over 600 us. Im not gonna implement a overhead in this new design so Im not gonna have to mount this guy at a crazy angle and the setup will sit low on the floor.

a simpler design will work better for me here is a very basic pic of what im after(dont laugh too hard)

Oh P.S. thanks A1 for the pic

[beaky]

I'm leery of recommending a particular unit, because I work with a limited range and never get to do A/B testing... but I have a list of criteria which you might use to pick the right one.

For any kind of simpit, I think these should be considered:

1)Lens: Short-throw capable or compatible with a good sort-throw lens which will not break the bank. An adjustable zoom lens is important, too- you might have it all figured out on paper, but that last inch can be a bitch.

2)Lamp:Good and bright, but check to see how much the lamps cost first. Lamp-hour specs are to be taken with a grain of salt- if you burn the thing  for 10 hrs at a time it will die sooner, believe me. There are a lot of good, cheap projectors out there that have very expensive lamps. Beware. Find the best ratio of brightness/lamp life/replacement cost.

3)Removable filters. If you can keep these things clean, the projector will last longer.

4)Resolution/freq range- just make sure it's compatible with A:your gpu output and B: the sim you're running.

5) DLP vs. LCD: DLP is great for analog stuff; makes movies shot on film look really nice. But I don't think it's necessary for computer animation. You could save a lot of money avoiding DLP projectors.

And no matter what you choose, be careful how you mount it. Most projectors are perfectly happy upside-down, but not on their side. As far as tilt goes, the bad news is that if you tilt it more than it would be tilted on its feet, it will have trouble ventilating- the lamps will go sooner and the LCD will burn up quicker (they turn purple). Putting fans around it won't help- they are baffled inside, and even with great onboard fans, the airflow can get hung up if it's tilted too much.

Brands? I know a few well: NEC and Sanyo mostly- good overall for the money, at least the older models are. The newest (expensive) NEC DLPs are incredible, but again, probably too much for a simpit.

Both NEC and Sanyo have short-throw units or lenses that really help with this kind of projection.

I've found the little Viewsonics to be surprisingly good for the money (and very small), but I don't know about using them for short-throw.

Panasonic makes some good LCD projectors, but they are not the best for the money, for sure.


OK, I've just re-read the OP, and I see you want to spend less than US$600... this is going to be a problem, unless you can find a used one... and one for which you can still get replacement lamps! Also look for someone selling a cache of lamps for the unit you're thinking of buying.  

I'd steer well clear of any new projector listing for less than $600!

[JSpahn]

Thats the info I was looking for, thanks [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Yeah I see your point 600 smackers was a bit optimistic.

[JSpahn]

I think I found the projector I want, its not a short throw projector by any means but the ratio is OK with the room I have 1.5-1.3:1, plus I can get it for about 800 new:

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/projectors/pj358/

[beaky]

Don't know that particular one, but VS is good- like their flat screens, their LCD projectors have pretty good blacks (typically a weak point for any LCD).  60" diagonally is respectable at less than 5 feet; should work fine for you.


Another tip: if you don't already know about "keystone correction"... it's best to eliminate keystoning optically any way you can, as these projectors correct that electronically by dumping pixels. Don't ever do more than a few clicks on the keystone correction. This can wreak havoc with the phase characteristics of a digital image  (which means it makes it look like ca-ca). So try to mount it as square to the screen as you can.

[JSpahn]

I was wondering about that, I heard you mention that in the before. So automatic keystone correction is a no-no(or at least try and limit it), maybe a 10-20deg angle if any?

[beaky]

I was wondering about that, I heard you mention that in the before. So automatic keystone correction is a no-no(or at least try and limit it), maybe a 10-20deg angle if any?

Plan to keep the projector as square to the screen as you can. Most digital keystone correction looks... OK if used sparingly, but it's always best to get it as square as you can. Bear in mind that you may find it OK to tilt the screen a little if you have to... might look acceptable in the end (and it would appear square if it matches the angle of tilt of the projector). Even that is better than working the digital keystone (usually). Experiment, though... mess around with it.
There's always mirrors, too... tricky but very useful to limit the footprint of your "thing", and they can be used to correct keystoning optically.

As for tilting, as I said: stay within the limit of what the built-in feet will give you, unless it's absolutely necessary.

Another thing springs to mind: try it out with the lamp on the "economy" setting first; if it's bright enough, leave it be. Econ mode greatly increases lamp life, and if your room is dark enough, you won't need full brightness at a short distance.


Here's a useful link:

http://www.hometheaterscreens.us/tdkc.html