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Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Yahoo Message Number: 136917
Hi everyone,
 For our anniversary my wife bought me the coolest gadget I've gotten in a long time.  This isn't for everyone, especially those who, unlike me, prefer a good book instead of watching TV.  ;-)  But for those who enjoy electronics and fiddling around with cool gadgets, it might be worth checking out.

http://tinyurl.com/byjsmgq
 This tiny projector weighs about half a pound and fits in the palm of your hand...ok not exactly but close enough.  It also has the ability to receive and reproduce 1080p images which is the current video standard.
 You can connect most laptops, Apple products, and any HD source like Blu-ray/DVD players, cameras (still and video), and satellite receivers.  Anything with an HDMI output.
 If you want to save weight, I think this would be a great alternative for those of you that use your satellite receiver as your main source of video.  I say that because it only has one HDMI input.  That means that you can use your satellite receiver to combine your off-air antenna signal with your satellite signal and it all gets funneled through the HDMI output on the satellite receiver.  Of course there's a myriad of adapters, splitters, and upscalers (for converting older video outputs to HDMI) available for those who require a bit more flexibility.
 I also think that with LD's darker interiors, this might even work during the brightest days.  I have yet to test it that way, but I'm looking forward to trying in the upcoming days.
 There are a few drawbacks.  For example, the size of the image depends solely on the distance from the surface you're projecting on.  I haven't tested it in our MB yet.  It also loses brightness the farther away you project.  I used it outside last night, on my cream-colored house wall.  It projected about a 110" image and it was watchable, but not as bright as if I would have done a 60" image.  It was still good enough to watch and enjoy a Monday Night football game with friends and family.

I'll post more useful information after I've had a chance to experiment a little more.

Danny
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136929
"It also has the ability to receive and reproduce 1080p images which is the current video standard."
 Receive, yes. Reproduce, no. Although the projector "accepts HDMI input," a close look at Brookstone's specs reveals that its actual output resolution is only 854 x 480 pixels--a small fraction of the 1,920 x 1,080 pixels in a 1080p HDMI signal.
 I'm not saying it's a bad product--I haven't seen it, so I don't know. But don't buy one of these thinking you'll be getting high-definition TV, because you won't.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136932
Quote
I'm not saying it's a bad product--I haven't seen it, so I don't know. But don't buy one of these thinking you'll be getting high-definition TV, because you won't.
The thing that immediately caught my eye was the low illumination - 85 lumens is just adequate for narrow-spot reading illumination. I hate to think how dim a large image would be reflected off a less-than-perfect surface.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136943
as an add on to use this -->
 you can use DVD43 --> Handbrake (to make MKVs for best quality) -> a media player like a WD HD Player and put 1,000 SD movies on a portable 1 TB drive like a Toshiba and connect the drive to the media player and the media player to the projector via HDMI
 Quality like originals. HD movies take up about 8 times the space as SD, so 1000/8 HD movies on a 1 TB portable drive. All this can fit in a big pocket.
 The software is free, the hardware under 150 (not counting the projector)
 For those who buy portable drives, Toshiba has an accelerometer inside to sense a drop and will lift the heads.
I have lost many other brand drives due to drops, one of which was only 6 inches. That drive was a rugged "Black Belt".
I have lost no Toshibas yet due to drops ( and I have dropped them) I have about 20 portable drives.
 My 5,000 movie collection (SD quality), player, and projector can fit in a shoe box !

__ From: dan_e2001 dan_e2001@...>
 To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com
 Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 4:42 PM
 Subject: [LD] Compact Solution for a Big Screen

Hi everyone,
 For our anniversary my wife bought me the coolest gadget I've gotten in a long time.  This isn't for everyone, especially those who, unlike me, prefer a good book instead of watching TV.  ;-)  But for those who enjoy electronics and fiddling around with cool gadgets, it might be worth checking out.

http://tinyurl.com/byjsmgq
 This tiny projector weighs about half a pound and fits in the palm of your hand...ok not exactly but close enough.  It also has the ability to receive and reproduce 1080p images which is the current video standard.
 You can connect most laptops, Apple products, and any HD source like Blu-ray/DVD players, cameras (still and video), and satellite receivers.  Anything with an HDMI output.
 If you want to save weight, I think this would be a great alternative for those of you that use your satellite receiver as your main source of video.  I say that because it only has one HDMI input.  That means that you can use your satellite receiver to combine your off-air antenna signal with your satellite signal and it all gets funneled through the HDMI output on the satellite receiver.  Of course there's a myriad of adapters, splitters, and upscalers (for converting older video outputs to HDMI) available for those who require a bit more flexibility.
 I also think that with LD's darker interiors, this might even work during the brightest days.  I have yet to test it that way, but I'm looking forward to trying in the upcoming days.
 There are a few drawbacks.  For example, the size of the image depends solely on the distance from the surface you're projecting on.  I haven't tested it in our MB yet.  It also loses brightness the farther away you project.  I used it outside last night, on my cream-colored house wall.  It projected about a 110" image and it was watchable, but not as bright as if I would have done a 60" image.  It was still good enough to watch and enjoy a Monday Night football game with friends and family.
 I'll post more useful information after I've had a chance to experiment a little more.

Danny

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136944
I have looked at HD projectors for years and always the price is too much for me.
I have seen a few on ebay for 300+ but they all use a bulb that costs about $200.

I may spring for one if the price gets about $500 with a $100 bulb.

Just curious has anyone seen an outdoor movie show, at a RV park, maybe projected on the
 side of a RV using maybe a sheet? What I do not know is how many Lumens would be needed for about a 6 foot sheet.

Seems it would be a cool thing to show a movie outside for several people and have popcorn and sodas.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136953
At the ham meeting at Quartzfest the regularly show movies on the side of RV. I also know people in the city that use a garage door or side of a house.

Sent from Garry's iPhone
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136955
"Seems it would be a cool thing to show a movie outside for several people and have popcorn and sodas"
 We see it done all the time. With everyone owning some form of video camera, it's popular for showing off the day's activities.
In the summer, at family-oriented campground, we see a lot of cartoons and kid movies projected on the side of motor homes, popcorn included.

Larry
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: Compact Solution for a Big Screen
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 136960
You're absolutely right Andy.  Unfortunately the native resolution limits the output to 480p.  If you check out this video I took last night, you will see that the quality is pretty good at almost twice the recommended size.  AT the end

http://youtu.be/gosrHt2dgUM
 Despite being projected on a two-tone striped bed sheet, and the 480p resolution, it looks good enough to enjoy a night outside with friends and family.  It's not as crisp as a 1080p projector, but if you look at the close-up towards the end of the clip, you will see that there is almost no noticeable pixilation.
 I shot another video at dusk with pretty good results.  Unfortunately I streamed HBO GO instead of using the same video, so you will notice some pixelation.  That's due to the streaming quality and not the projector itself.  This video is primarily to show how visible the image is at dusk:

http://youtu.be/N28pf_-v_Bc
 My take:  This won't replace your home theater projector, but it's a competent and compact solution for outdoor activities and even the occasional business presentation.

Danny