Projector Screens

Projector Screens
By Jennifer Bailey

When there is a projection of a video or an image, the presence of a projector screen is inevitable. A projector screen is a specially made flat screen to be hung on the wall or erected vertically, where the image is reflected, so that the image size is enlarged. The surfaces of such screens are usually rough, and colored white.

There are a number of types of projector screens. They are home cinema projector screens, portable projector screens, manual projector screens, electric projector screens, fixed frame projector screens and also movie board home cinema projection screens.

Home cinema projector screens are the screens with the viewable screen central to the eye. Some of the products that are popular include: CinElpro Electric Projection Screens (230cm), Cinema Electrol Projection Screens (190cm), Diplomat Channel Fix Electric Screens (290cm) and Diplomat Channel Fix Manual Video and Screen Formats (290cm).

Portable projector screens are for temporary positioning or for occasional use. These screens are easy to carry to various places. Most of the screens are foldable and are usually carried in coils. Some of the products that are popular are: Fast fold (427cm), Leader Portable Floor Screens (177cm), Movielux Compact Portable Floor Screens (160cm), Picture King Standard and Video Format Tripod Screens (244cm), and Professional Tripod Screen (240cm).

Manual projector screens can be pulled down and recoiled back from the ceiling, or wall mounted. Some of the products are Proscreen Manual Wall Screens (280cm) and Slim Screen Manual Wall Screens (200cm).

Electric projector screens have motorized drop and retraction through the use of wired switches or remote controls.

Fixed frame projector screens are permanently fixed frame screens. Some of the products are Cinema Contour Professional Framed Projection Screens (488cm) and Designer CineFix Home Cinema Projection Screens (200cm).

Projector Screens provides detailed information on Projector Screens, Video Projector Screens, Home Theater Projector Screens, Electric Projector Screens and more. Projector Screens is affiliated with Large Format Flatbed Scanners.

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Should We Buy A Demo Projector Over A New Projector

Should We Buy A Demo Projector Over A New Projector
By Clifford Tan

After many years experimenting with and learning about home theaters, it is hard not to interject some personal experience into the subject matter sometimes. When I was a teenager, I was piecing together my first home theater projector. I had a state of the art front projector that took up fully two thirds of my bedroom. Intellivision was a modern marvel with 64bit video game technology. Only one thing was lacking, I was buying a new stereo to complete the home theater experience.

There was no way I could have afforded a brand new stereo, but I did, with some patience and searching, I found some demonstration models that were within my meager budget. I completed my first home theater system when I was about 16. Is the demo model still a viable option though? And will it work for home theater projectors in the same fashion?

A fair discount is often given to the purchaser of a demo model. This is done mostly due to the fact that the demo model has indeed been used to a certain extent. While this may not be an issue for some audio and visual equipment, it is necessary to look at the whole picture before deciding if this is the right way to purchase a home projector.

Obviously you must decide if the projector will fit your personal needs. What kind of media display does it offer? Will it be suitable for mounting in your home? Will the cables be included? Is there still any warranty left on the projection unit? Is the projection screen included with the projector? This last part can be especially important since you can be assured that the screen and the projector are fully compatible if the unit has been displayed in the store.

Once all these questions have been answered, even if they are all answered favorably, it is necessary to look at what may be considered the most important two factors to consider when looking at demo models.

The first question to ask is what is the discounted price? While this is usually around ten percent, frequently an otherwise demanding store may be open to negotiations. The second very important question is to get an idea of how much the projector has been run. By knowing this simple fact, you can ascertain roughly how much bulb life will still be in the headlamp.

While it may seem silly to haggle over a light bulb, projector lamps can be a very expensive replacement part, usually costing between a couple of hundred and five hundred dollars each. Is any discount in the price of the home theater projector going to be outweighed by the purchase of a new bulb in the next few months?

With some careful searching and a little patience, a demo model is an excellent and affordable opportunity for the home theater enthusiast, just be careful and remember not only what to look, but what the relevant questions are when you are shopping this way.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. To find out alot more information about home projection system, visit the site http://www.home-projector-advisor.com.

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Ceiling Mount a Home Theater Front Projector Metalcraft Mounting System

Ceiling Mount a Home Theater Front Projector - Metalcraft Mounting System
By Kyle Kolbe

After I fainted from sticker shock at the pricing of the official Sanyo PLV-Z3 projector ceiling mount ($200), I found a much cheaper solution. For $36.95 I could buy a Metalcraft all metal adjustable ceiling mount off ebay.

Mounting a projector to my ceiling was easier than I thought. Heres how I did it.

Tools youll need:

* Philips Hand Screw Driver

* Circular Level

* EZ Anchor Stud Solvers

* Tape Measure

* Step Ladder

Size up the mounting hardware: The Metalcraft mounts ceiling plate is large measuring five by five inches square with six pre-drilled holes for ceiling screws. A post descends to the projector mount plate.

How I measured my room for optimum mount placement: Bisecting the width of the room, considering the airduct, and measuring eleven and a half feet from the front projector screens surface plus the half the length of the mounting plate, I placed the plate on the ceiling and marked each screw hole.

Anchored to ceiling: Wear safety goggles to avoid getting ceiling board dust in your eyes. I removed the plate and drove the metal EZ Anchor Stud Solver anchors until they were flush with the ceiling. The EZ Anchors are great because you never have to drill a pilot hole for the self-tapping anchors. I replaced the plate over the anchors and drove each #8 screw into its anchor. You may need an extra hand to hold the plate in place while you tighten the first two to four screws.

Attach the projector plate before attaching to ceiling plate: Since the mount assembly breaks into two parts, one attaching to the ceiling with a post that screws into the adjustment plate for the projector, you can screw and tighten the hex screws and plastic bushings to the projector body.

Secure the projector plate to the ceiling mount: The Metalcraft ceiling mounts post accepts a adjustable knob screw. You will need someone to help you get the screw started while they lift up the projector. With the screw tight you can rotate the projector from left to right on the ceiling post.

Fine-tuning: The Metalcraft mount allows yaw, pitch and rotation. With the hand tightening of knobs on the projector mount plate you can canter your projector perfectly on your projection screen. With the aid of a circular bubble level you can level the projector from front to back and left to right using the corresponding thumb knobs. With projector level you can then adjust your lense up and down and to the side for a perfect screen fill with no keystone distortion correction.

Caveat: The Metalcraft mount is wobbly because of the thinness of the metal used on the metal band that holds the projector mount to the ceiling mount post. When you need to change interconnects or adjust manual focus and zoom the projector rocks slightly as the metal gives. This does not cause the projector to fall out of register, though. Hey$36.95what do you expect?

The Metalcraft Mounting System for the Sanyo PLV-Z3 LCD projector (and many other projector brands and models) is a great bargain and very reliable. Highly recommended.

Father, Husband and Geek. My geeky interests have not changed since I was a kid. I still love comic books, anime, role-playing games, console video games, indie rock, imported toys and mecha models, bad American and great British sitcoms, and all the tech that lets me experience these hobbies to their fullest. Now that Im married with children, Ive had to strike a balance between supporting and pleasing my family and feeding my geekery hunger. Lucky for me, my wife is very accomodating and even geeks out with me on occasion (the ladies love Joss Whedons Firefly). My two year old likes anything that moves on the front projection screen and makes noise, so far she is easy to please. Geekwithfamily.com exists to enrich the lives of fellow geeks and the friends and family who put up with them.

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Buyers Guide to Home Theater Projectors

Buyers Guide to Home Theater Projectors
By Warren Thompson

Over the years, I have grown really attached to my home theater system. I must say, of all the rooms in the house, my own little movie theater is the one I could not live without. I am absolutely in love with my home theater system and, if you are anything like me, I am sure you will love yours too. I found, when I was initially building my system, that there was so much information to absorb. Every product out there seemed better than the next, and I found myself unsure about which to buy. Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a new home theater projector.

There are two main types of projectors on the market; DLP and LCD. DLP stands for digital light processing. It was invented by Texas Instruments, and utilizes a microscopic array of over 2 million mirrors. DLP has a higher contrast than LCD, but there are some unfavorable consumer reports that note something called the ainbow effect. The ainbow effect is noticeable when looking from one side of the screen to the other, and is characterized by a sudden burst of color.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display. These projectors have three distinct glass LCD panels inside; one for each component of the video signal (red, green, and blue). While DLP chips reflect light, the LCD panels allow light to pass through them. LCD projectors produce brighter images, and they are known for having excellent color saturation. In the end, you will be hard-pressed to notice a great difference between the two types of projection systems.

When shopping for a new projector, keep your particular needs in the forefront of your thoughts. As I mentioned above, it is really easy to lose yourself in the minutiae of each particular system. Connectivity is a definitely something to be mindful of. Make sure that you are able to connect all of your components, including your gaming system. Nothing beats playing Halo in real-life size! Contract ratio is another important factor; the higher the ratio, the better the picture will be.

The brightness of your projector is another thing to consider. Light output is measured in ANSI (American National Standards Institute) lumens. You will want to avoid a projector that produces anything shy of 1000 lumens. As you are likely aware, the projection resolution is extremely important. This refers to the number of pixels that can be displayed on the screen. Go for something that is no less than 1024x768, as this will allow you to fully appreciate the depth and quality of HDTV. In the end, you should buy the projector that is in line with your needs and your budget. Soprano's is coming on right now! Time to go!

Warren Thompson is like a kid in a candy store, when it comes to home theater products. When he can drag himself away from his miniature movie theater, he writes for hometheaterfocus.com an excellent resource for information about soundproofing, digital video recorders, wiring diagrams and more.

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Home Theater Plasma TV VS Projectors

Home Theater - Plasma TV VS Projectors
By Jakob Culver

Many homeowners are struggling with an important, electronic question: What is the ideal display for my home theater? Many people have fought this debate, but I'll try to make clear some important considerations.

The most important detail to consider when deciding between a projector and a large plasma television is ambient light. A room with lots of windows presents a problem for a projector because every little bit of ambient lighting degrades the projected image. The ideal environment for a projector is one where you have total control over the lighting. If your home theater uses a projector, you are limited to using it when you can eliminate other light. A plasma screen can be used anyplace, anytime.

Assuming your home theater has blackout curtains, or exists deep underground; let's examine differences between a plasma television and a projector. One advantage of a projector is that you can get a much larger picture than is available in plasma. Projectors can produce images comparable to an 81-inch screen and larger. This just isn't possible with a plasma screen. However, plasma's have the advantage of not needing any amount of space. A projector must have a long enough corridor to project its image on the wall or screen. To get an 81-inch or greater image, you need a decent distance between the projector and the target. Second, a projector's image is dependent on more than the quality of the projector; you must be projecting onto a specialized surface or you lose detail. A top of the line HD projector with a very high native resolution would be wasted if you were just projecting the image onto a wall. You need an equally high quality screen with features such as a matte finish to eliminate reflection and glare. A plasma display requires no additional equipment.

Overall, a projector has the potential of creating a beautiful image, but it needs too much to work effectively. If you're creating a private movie theater with lighting control and an investment in a screen, mounting equipment, and blackout curtains, then a projector is your piece of equipment. For everyone else, I suggest a plasma television.

Jakob Culver is founder of the website http://www.plasmatvarena.com providing information, articles and reviews about plasma tv's. To find more articles like this one visit the site http://www.plasmatvarena.com.

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Build Your Own LCD Video Projector

Build Your Own LCD Video Projector
By Andrew Seltz

Mix big screen home theater dreams with a skimpy budget and you have the makings of a fantastic do-it-yourself project. Just think of how impressed all your friends will be watching blockbuster movies on a video projector you made with your own 2 hands.

It was just these motivations that landed me in front of my web browser digging for information for this project. There are a lot of cheesy websites that promise the moon and sell you a plastic magnifying lense and the instructions to stick a television into a box and put this lens on the front. You will get an image, but it will look like you made it yourself. - dark, and blurry.

Is there any way to make this work? The short answer is yes. A video projector is essentially a high resolution LCD video screen with a really bright light shining through it and a projector lense enlarging onto the screen. New portable models use very tiny, and expensive, LCDs along with sophisticated light sources and high quality lenses. If you are willing to end up with a projector that isn't quite so tiny, you can scavenge the parts you need from an LCD computer monitor and add some electronic components and relatively inexpensive lenses. For $200-$500 you should be able to create a high resolution bright projector that will really impress your friends.

The parts you need are:

• High resolution LCD computer monitor
• Projector lens (and possibly 2 fresnel lenses depending on the plans you use)
• Cooling fan(s) - bright lights get hot when you shove them in a box
• Bright lightsource (one approach to the project is to use an old overhead projector)
• Electrical power supply

There are dozens of websites with step-by-step plans for free or for sale. Some sell parts that you'll need. Two that I've found to be excellent are LumenLab and the DIY Projector Company. They both sell parts and parts kits. LumenLab sells a very nicely produced PDF instruction guide with detailed plans. DIY offers plans free, but expects that you'll buy one of their kits to actually make the projector. They both use the LCD in a box with a lamp approach.

InventGeek has a great article explaining the whole process in depth including the theory behind projectors. I recommend you check it out. The DenGuru website shows another approach to the project. They use an old overhead projector for both the lightsource and lens. You strip the LCD panel out of its frame and lay it on the projector like a transparency. Ugly, but it works! Check out their tutorial.

Break out your toolkit and get busy - and let's be safe out there people!

Andrew Seltz is a Go-To Guy! His wide range of interests and experiences have made him a walking search engine for his friends and colleagues. His passion for film and video production have made him particularly interested in Big Screen Televisions and Home Theaters. Visit his site: http://www.ColossalTV.com

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Some Things Your Projector Dealer Might Not Tell You

Some Things Your Projector Dealer Might Not Tell You
By Clifford Tan

A salesman is a salesman. He does not make a living if he does not sell something. So it may sometimes happen that a salesman or a dealer will not tell the buyer all of the relevant facts about a given product. We have tried to list enough of them here to give you a general idea of what to look for and what to ask.

Bulbs or the Headlamp
This is probably the one thing that gets overlooked more than anything else. The bulbs are an expensive part of the home theater system and need to be checked out carefully before purchasing a projection unit. What is the projected bulb life? How many lumens does it generate? These are specific questions that should generate specific answers that the projector dealer may not otherwise mention.

Contrast Ratios
Contrast ratios are something else that needs to be considered. The projector dealer may or may not know the statistics regarding a specific projector unit, but what about the ambient lighting in the room where the projector will be used. Is the light source constant or is it varied? Properly factoring in the light source in the room where the theater projector will be set up is not something that many dealers or salesmen will volunteer to do for the buyer.

Screen
The screen is also an important part of the whole home theater experience. Which screens work best with which types of projectors is likely something the salesman or dealer is not going to know and will not tell you without prodding. Having the information beforehand can save a lot of time and grief when shopping for a home theater projector.

Mounting
What types of mounts are included with the projector is something they may or may not refer to at the projector dealer, but what else is there to consider with mounts? Is the projection unit prone to overheating when mounted on a shelf mount? Is it compatible and able to be mounted in the proper place for the distances in the room where it will be used? Another factor in regards to the mounting of the multimedia projector is the hazard of creating a keystone effect by mounting the projector incorrectly or off center. What kind of variance do the optic lenses on the projector provide to prevent this? Is there only a vertical adjustment or does it have both horizontal and vertical optic controls? Does it only have the keystone adjustments or does it provide digital adjustment as well? Mounting the multimedia projector properly is a key factor in being able to properly enjoy a high quality picture with the home theater projection unit.

Is this the right projector for me?
Is the projector really compatible for the uses that are needed or is the salesman or dealer just trying to push a product off on the consumer? Knowing which projectors are better for what types of displays is something that the dealer may not even know about. Different home theater projectors have different uses. Some work better with movies, videos and video games, and some work better for still-multimedia presentations. Being knowledgeable about which projector does what can save a lot of hassling with the uninformed salesman or the dealer who just wants to move projectors out of his store.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. No matter how well prepared the salesman is or how honest the projector dealer is, they have many different products that they have to know a lot about. Even the salesman with the best intentions will not know everything about all of the home theater projectors available. There are many things the projector dealer will not tell you.

Note: This article may be republish for use in websites as long as the author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Clifford Tan, a Home Theater enthusiast and owner of the website Home Projector Advisor offering projector reviews, advice and many useful tips and hints to business and home consumers looking to purchase a home projectors. To find out alot more information about home projection system, visit the site http://www.home-projector-advisor.com

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Tips on Comparing Prices on Projectors

Tips on Comparing Prices on Projectors
By Jim Gelder

Buying a projector is an investment that you want to be sure you make wisely. So taking the time to do some comparison shopping when it comes to prices is simply a smart thing to do and something you certainly wont regret.

There are several ways you can go about comparing prices on projectors. The first is to visit electronics stores and office supply stores that sell projectors and check out their prices in the stores. This is an especially good method during sales. Its also a great way to get a good deal locally because many stores will offer to beat their competitors best price by a certain percentage, which can save you even more money.

You can also research and compare prices on projectors online. Doing your projector price comparison shopping online makes it possible for you to check out a much larger number of prices on projectors than you can do by going from store to store. This will also make it possible for you to check out the prices on a wider number of brand name projectors and even look into the prices of used projectors. Online auction sites such as eBay are great places to compare prices on used projectors.

Consumer report magazines are also a good resource for comparing prices on various projectors. These reports have the advantage of also rating the projectors, so you can compare quality as well as prices on projectors.

This is an important part of comparing prices on anything, whether its projectors or cars. You want to get the most value for your money, and that means that many times a medium priced item is actually a better value than a higher priced one because it has more features than a stripped down top brand name one has.

Also, even before you start comparing prices on projectors, its a good idea to have a budget in mind for what youre willing to spend for your projector. This will help you focus your price comparison, although you dont want to rule out looking into projectors that may cost more than youve budgeted for because you may run into an unexpected bargain as you do your research.

And if the thought of doing all the research needed to compare prices on projectors sounds like work to you, remember that at least half the fun of making any purchase is in the search! Make a game of it and see just how great a projector you can find for the least amount of money, thanks to your savvy comparison shopping. Then take those savings and splurge on something just for you!

Jim Gelder is a contributing writer for projectorian.com a website dedicated to offering information about projectors and projector rentals and also features a listing of local companies that offer LCD projector rentals, New York projector rentals and more.

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