Old laptops, such as 486's, most likely have passive-matrix screens on them. Passive-matrix is older technology that changes pixels more slowly than active-matrix LCD technology. Basically, DO NOT PURCHASE A PASSIVE MATRIX LCD. I will try to explain the difference between active and passive matrix LCDs very briefly. Generally I would suggest 1.4 million colors minimum. The panel I have displays 1.4 million colors and the color quality difference is not very noticeable when compared to 24 or 32-bit color. A panel with this color depth is ideal, but not always practical. 24-bit color translates into approximately 16.7 million colors. Color depth is a very important factor in choosing a panel also. If you don't plan on using a computer with the panel, save some money and purchase a 640x480 panel. While 640x480 will suffice for TV, movies, and game consoles, higher resolution panels are more appropriate for general computer use, such as surfing the Internet and computer gaming. Usually the first specification listed in a description of a panel is the resolution.
I will attempt to explain the benefits and detriments of different choices and how to know which panels sport which options. How many colors does it display? What is its native resolution? Is the LCD active or passive matrix? How big is the screen? How many inputs does it have? All of these questions should cross your mind when searching.
The size of the screen on your panel will also affect the size -to-distance ratio.Ĭhoosing the right panel for your needs is the most difficult part. Different lenses provide different ratios of course, but for example my 6' diagonal image needs about 10-15ft of space away from the wall. Once you've verified that you have enough surface area on your wall that you'll be projecting onto, make sure you have enough distance away from it to place the projector. Keep in mind that screens can be rather expensive. If you want this to look halfway decent with your home decor, projection screens can be purchased online and at office supply stores.
At Dollar General these sheets go for 3 for $1 I believe, so for probably $4 or so (9 sheets plus $1 for scotch tape of course) you can make an inexpensive screen. However, if you need to make one, head down to the local crafts store and purchase some large sheets of white poster board and make a screen out of these. I was lucky enough to have plain white walls in my room, so creating a screen was not an issue for me. I assure you that they just don’t do any justice!
If your walls are painted, covered in wallpaper, or textured, don't fret! Before we go any further, let me apologize in advance for the low quality of the pictures. Keep in mind that you will need a white wall to project your movies/games/TV/internet surfing onto. What next? Well, first off you need to make sure you'll have ample space for it. OK, so you've got the desire and the money to have a projector. There are a few main steps that will be discussed in this guide. This is the same idea, only with higher quality LCDs that support VGA input. Many people have seen these in math classes used with a teacher’s graphic calculator. Before LCD projectors were being manufactured many major presentation-based companies (3m, dukane, infocus, nView, etc) created LCD panels to sit on top of a standard overhead projector. The niche I am referring to is in a technology called Projection Panels. I decided to look further into projectors and found a very interesting niche in the technology that lets you build (don't get scared! There are no tools involved!) a quality projector for under $200. If you're anything like me, you probably thought of the gaming possibilities of the projector instead of it being used for boring PowerPoint presentations. Maybe it was at a business meeting, or maybe it was during a high school or college class.
There's no doubt that most people looking at this have come across a video projector before.