It's really hard to say how much of a value this
DIY HD projector is, given we're missing some crucial specs like resolution (gotta be at least 720p, right?), contrast ratio, and luminosity. Still, at €500 (about $708 US) for the whole kit, it's not a bad deal if you planned on spending your weekend doing projects anyway. All the pieces come in four separate bundles -- HD optic, light, housing, and electronics -- and if you need some handholding (it's okay, so do we), there's a German-language instruction manual that's thankfully full of pictures and diagrams, and even more entertaining, we've got a video / picture slideshow of the process done to a playful techno ditty. Check it out after the break.
Update: Yup, it's 1280x768.
[Via
Slashgear, thanks Gary K.]
Read - DIY HD projector kit
Read - Instruction manual
posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 12:39AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
iFargle @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:44AM
I'd love to do this, if only I had money...
gfar @ Jul 2nd 2009 7:53AM
I've never had to pay to 'do it myself' before hahaha
Linhares @ Jul 2nd 2009 11:34AM
OMG LARGE HADRON COLLIDER GONNA KILL US ALL!!
uShak @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:46AM
Actually that is a lot of money, you can get a decent HD projector with that kind of money.
Nikesh @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:54AM
I totally agree. Given that these projectors are made with wooden boxes that are quite big, it doesn't make sense for anyone to actually do this, at least through this website. DIY projects are supposed to be fun, inventive, educational, and save you money. This project accomplishes none of these (well...it may be fun...who knows?). If your gonna build a DIY projector, source the parts yourself and learn from a forum like AVS. You'll end up with a better looking (both performance and aesthetics) or at least cheaper projector.
ShyGuy91284 @ Jul 2nd 2009 6:14AM
There's one thing that could make it worth the price: If it uses cheaper bulbs. They may not be the same quality, but if you plan on using the projector a lot, $250 or so every 2000-3000 could add up.
Markarian @ Jul 2nd 2009 7:39AM
Several years ago, I picked up a overhead presentation panel for $150. It was 640x480 and took VGA and Composite in. I picked up a nice used overhead for $50 and when these two were combined, I played Star Fox Adventure on an 8 foot screen. It wasn't the best setup in the world but it was fun, cheap, and the bulbs were only $9.
slivingston @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:51AM
It's only a potentially good deal if your time is worthless... I'd rather buy (and did, actually) something engineered and tested by a company that churns these out by the thousands instead of wasting hours upon hours for mediocre results.
GRAMMAR POLICE @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:58AM
People always think DIY is some huge deal, but that's only true if you are the epitome of boring and your time is worth usually around a dollar an hour. And now you have some homegrown piece of crap without the specs of a store bought, or the testing and warranty. Wow, great deal.
dj-kenpo @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:15AM
there are times I'd agree with grammer police.
other times I think the people unwilling to go the DIY route are just lazy and incompetent at doing anything other than sitting on their asses watching tv.
sometimes it's nice to learn how things work
the4thheat @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:19AM
Sometimes DIY can actually make a lot of sense, but it's mostly applies to simple stuff that manufacturers are charging obscene markups on. At current projector prices this makes very little sense though, especially since many commercial units would have a lot of features you would have a hard time doing in a DIY unit (lens shift for example).
But trashing all of DIY is pretty stupid, on some products you can save a ton of money. On some stuff like high end audio gear where companies basically buy $50 amp chips then mark the amps up to $3000 you can get pretty much the same performance for a lot less money by either modifying a cheaper amp or even just making your own from scratch. So again it's more useful for items where the manufacturers are charging obscene markups.
And DIY is also awesome because you can make stuff nobody else makes, the limits are only your own skills anyway.
AMiSH PiRATE @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:23AM
DIY isn't just about having a solid final product. It's about do-ing it your-self. There's a lot to say for that.
GRAMMAR POLICE @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:29AM
"DIY isn't just about having a solid final product. It's about do-ing it your-self. There's a lot to say for that."
There isn't, though. Like an earlier comment said, if it makes sound financial sense or offers some major benefit over buying pre-made, then sure. For instance, I find that by customizing your own barebones purchased PC, you can obviously save tons (I bought a basic Dell Vostro 200 and with a small amount of money turned it into a great media center). But, in MANY MANY cases, like this, it is simply a waste of to have something that works poorly and cost you nearly as much in not just supplies, but your valuable time.
Chris Dunning @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:40AM
It's called a hobby, man. People like to do things like this for fun. Some people build models, others garden, and still others surf instructables looking for project to put together. DIY is a hobby just like playing music or collecting comics. You may have no interest in it, but that doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile endeavor for someone who does.
Colin @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:42AM
This is a bad example of a selling a kit and claiming it as DIY when it really is just "some assembly required"... It's the difference between making an Ikea shelf and cutting the lumber for one yourself.
I made something very similar about 3 years ago. It cost me about $200 in total for everything (LCD, Lenses and Lamp). I cut the case, made the brackets, striped the LCD and measured everything out so it all was in alignment and it was a great experience and I had a ton of fun making it.
I'm guessing you aren't the kind of people who built models cars or airplanes when you were kids.
It's the same type of thing.
Chris Dunning @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:53AM
Well, this is like a stepping stone to true DIY.
People don't start building level five models right off. You build up to that.
AMiSH PiRATE @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:27AM
Grammar Police, what's your problem with people doing things themselves? Yeah, cost & time can be wasted, but in that waste people gain valuable experience. Those self-doing go-getters are the type of people who advance society to the point of us HAVING crazy things like HD projectors and internetz. Are you worried that if enough people start being DIYers then the government will force all technology to be DIY?
Tim Brown @ Jul 2nd 2009 6:16AM
For all those who think DIY is boring then take a look at one Mr Ben Heck and see what he manages to do DIY wise. I would like to see him come up with a projector and put the build guide on the net!
slivingston @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:00AM
Amazon's got an Optoma EP1691 720p projector for just under $700 that probably spanks this thing in every way. So yeah, definitely not a worthwhile project.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:08AM
Are you new to the internet?
A few years back kits of this sort were all the rage, being sold on eBay, mostly spurred on by sites like engadget.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/17/how-to-build-your-own-hd-projector-part-1/
The problem is the resulting projector is not very good on day 1 and the heat from the light ends up burning the LCD over time making it even worse.
tororm @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:27AM
The difference between this and the 2006 mod is that it seems to use the correct LCD- one that can withstand heat (its also not massive!). I like the idea of DIY- I can buy a cheap setup and upgrade controller boards and lamps as required!.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:27AM
It's using a converted backlit panel, just like before. I find it hard to believe that a panel that comes with a diffuse backlight is designed to withstand concentrated strong light.
David Susilo @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:16AM
Spending that kind of money on a DIY projector plus the hours and hours of valuable time is plain stupid. For the same amount of money (or less) you'll get the same (or most likely better) quality... and a year warranty plus several hours of free time to actually enjoy a couple of movies.
Chris Dunning @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:51AM
Yeah, and for the same amount of money or less, I could get someone to restore a car for me. No need to buy all those tools; or spend hours sanding, priming, and painting. Yes sir.
You know what else, I could probably buy a nice factory assembled model car. I wouldn't even have to go through the process of reading instructions or putting it together myself like I would with a plastic model.
I guess I could also just buy all of my vegetables at the grocery store. Heck, I wouldn't have to spend any time outside in my garden.
I guess I wont be building my son a toy chest for his toys. Who wants to spend their time building something by hand? After all, it would probably end up costing me more in the long run, and plastic is just as durable as wood, right?
Thanks for showing me how pointless hobbies are. Man, what am I going to do with all this time that I've discovered. I know, I'll watch an obscene amount of TV.
James @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:05AM
@ chris
Why go through all that trouble of the grocery store? You can just buy fast food and not take up your time cooking at all.
James @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:07AM
On second thought just order pizza and pause the TV for the 30 seconds it takes to answer the door.
tweak @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:34AM
The LCD in the projector is 1280x768
joevisual @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:40AM
A price i would pay assuming its 720p... 200 bucks possibly. who knows how good it looks thou.
Luke @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:47AM
There are no pictures of what the projection looks like and who knows how long the LCD will hold up before burning spots in it. These kits and instructions are all over the internet.
James @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:09AM
Yeah ive seen kits like this on ebay for years. Some of them seem like they would be a fun build but i dont have 700 dollars to spend on something like that right now.
michiel @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:49AM
On the website of the components of the beamer it is stated that the LCD has a resolution of 1280x768. So that would indeed make it 720P.
Source:
http://www.beamer-selbstbau.de/product_info.php/info/p206_HD-Electronics-bundle.html/XTCsid/d6c466d698a0bc18b5377802ebbc90bf
lawyer bird @ Jul 2nd 2009 2:38AM
So yeah, I wouldn't spend the time to actually commit to carrying out this whole project. But at the same time I could understand why someone would, and the self-satisfaction that ensues. More power to you.
Tdburn @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:50AM
5 years ago I did one of the DIY projectors. It was one of the best experiences of my life that really boosted my confidence in being able to do stuff so that was a bonus.
After 5 years it is running strong, looks great and is still running on the first $50.00 bulb. We watch a lot of movies in my house so thousands of hours have been put on the bulb.
Back then it was a significant cost savings to DIY, but now projectors are much cheaper and so unless you want a hobby experience going with a manufactured projector is the way to go.
Hirudin @ Jul 2nd 2009 5:22AM
Like Tdburn, I've actually built myself a DIY projector (an intrepid person could probably find my "plog" on Lumenlab). Mine used a WUXGA LCD (1920x1200 resolution) and cost nearly as much as, or more than, a commercial projector. It was a great experience that I often look back on fondly. But, unlike Tdburn I don't have my DIY projector any more, after my second bulb burned out (I was using used bulbs with short lifespans to start with) I decided to buy a commercial projector. The quality wasn't THAT much better as far as I could tell, but the commercial unit (a mitsubishi 5000-something or another 3-LCD 1080p model) had a bunch more features, was something like 6 times smaller, and was much lighter.
As a hobby a DIY projector is awesome, amazing, fun, educational, etc. This kit would probably be a lot of fun, even though it is taking a lot of the "Y" ("Yourself") out of the acronym.
$700 is pretty expensive, I bet you could get all the same parts from a site like Lumenlab for a few hundred dollars less. Also, as others have mentioned: you can buy a commercial projector for this kind of money. If all you want is a projector, just go buy one!
So, do you want a PROJECTor or a PROJECT?
maxxwizard @ Jul 2nd 2009 1:30PM
projector... project... that made me giggle.
InfinityPlusOne @ Jul 2nd 2009 3:26PM
I finished a DIY projector using a 1280x768 panel. I too have a PLOG on Lumenlab. IMO, it definitely needs to become a hobby. The planning and build process for mine took over 6 months, along with sourcing parts, etc.
To me, picture quality is quite alright. Black levels might not be what they are on commercial PJs but I can't complain. 720p looks quite nice since my 10.6" LCD panel has pixels that are very close together. No screen door effect here.
Heat is not an issue with 150W ceramic bulbs as long as you design a box with good airflow. My 150W ceramic lamp is rated for ~10,000 hours and costs just about $50 Canadian. Replacement bulb costs was one of the reasons why I decided to build my own.
I know everything about my projector. The measurements, the components, the optics. If something breaks, I have no doubt in my mind that I can fix it. My projector is modular. If something goes, I can replace it. After your 1-year warranty runs out on your Amazon special, if your PJ breaks, you have very few options. Search eBay for "as is lcd projector" and you'll see what I mean. Hopefully you didn't buy a bulb only to have the mainboard burn out on you a few weeks later. The value of that cheap projector is now dwindling.
Finally, I am quite proud to show people who come into my home the vertical beamer I built. I enjoy hearing people say "YOU BUILT THIS?!?" and then comment on how nice the picture looks. There is a lot of satisfaction in building something yourself.
Don't knock it till you try it.
Mile @ Jul 2nd 2009 7:34AM
I built mine out of $200 worth of cardboard, string, piano wire, and parts from a broken linksys router. Cost me $350 for a lamp for it, which caused the whole thing to burst into flames, singing my coffee table.
But it was cheaper than this one!
Bill @ Jul 2nd 2009 8:28AM
You can get $50 400 watt bulbs for these home made projectors. Anyone trying to sell a light bulb with these kits for $250 is ripping you off. (the aforementioned bulbs have really good color temperature)
Also you can get a 15.4 inch 1920x1200 LCD for about $200 for full 1080p in these things, but the kit linked would need some different parts probably.
This site sells some nice kits.
http://diyprojectorkits.com/
You can buy them pre-assembled/tested even and its still a better deal because the light bulbs are cheaper and you can upgrade the projector.
We are about to group order those Luxim plasma bulbs, a 250 watt Luxim beats even a 400 watt metal halide.
darbronnoco420 @ Jul 2nd 2009 12:15PM
I think a lot of folks here are missing the point if DIY. It's fun! I built the lumen lab projector that was featured on hack a day way back when and I am still using it. I love the thing and don't see any reason to buy a new projector. As far as these kits go, they are great for the beginner. If it gets someone into the hobby I am all for it! Enjoy!
loocas @ Jul 2nd 2009 8:13PM
720p ain't HD!