Projectors: I'm not sure if this belongs in Main or Chit-Chat, but here it is. Do any of you use digital projectors for anything? A couple of the ukulele groups I visit use them to...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm not sure if this belongs in Main or Chit-Chat, but here it is.

Do any of you use digital projectors for anything? A couple of the ukulele groups I visit use them to project songs onto a screen. Although some sell in the $1,000 range, there are perfectly acceptable models for under $100. Although I like the idea of having one, I can't find a way to justify the purchase. I would never use it to watch movies or TV, but they are very good for projecting - whatever - from a laptop.

BebuLamar

I found you really can't project all that large especially if your home doesn't have a very large room. I think I do better with a TV.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

My son gave me one. It is well made, fun to use, but not very bright. You can't get "bright" without spending some money.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

My friends and I have always liked seeing 35mm slides projected by my Carousel onto a nice big screen as opposed to seeing digitals on a monitor. I always wondered if a digital projector would provide the same sharpness and brightness when projecting jpegs onto a slide/movie screen. Does anyone do this? How does it work?

BebuLamar

When you can buy an 80" 4K TV for $1000 I don't see why I would use a much more expensive projector. It would be darker and not as sharp if not aligned carefully.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

fourlocks wrote:

My friends and I have always liked seeing 35mm slides projected by my Carousel onto a nice big screen as opposed to seeing digitals on a monitor. I always wondered if a digital projector would provide the same sharpness and brightness when projecting jpegs onto a slide/movie screen. Does anyone do this? How does it work?

It works by plugging your computer into the projector with an HDMI cable just like an external monitor on any laptop. Compared to projected slides, a properly prepared 4K JPEG will be very sharp and bright. Bright, 4K projectors aren't cheap.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

bsprague wrote:

It works by plugging your computer into the projector with an HDMI cable just like an external monitor on any laptop. Compared to projected slides, a properly prepared 4K JPEG will be very sharp and bright. Bright, 4K projectors aren't cheap.

Good to know; thanks. Is that only with a high end projector or will one of the cheaper ones Jerry mentions be as good?

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

BebuLamar wrote:

When you can buy an 80" 4K TV for $1000 I don't see why I would use a much more expensive projector. It would be darker and not as sharp if not aligned carefully.

The only reasons might be portability and where a theater type room has a larger screen.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

Okay, here it is, from my experience. First, in my classroom, I use the projector every single day. My physics students benefit from color illustrations, and the resolution is perfect.

Now, at home. Since I need to tread five days a week, I need 'brain food', and I have more than 1,000 movies to select from. So I purchased an Optoma projector from Amazon, and never been sorry since. The image is very bright, and although I purchased a replacement lamp (in advance of need), the original one continues to work very well, for ... I think four years now.

Alphabravo2020

I'm just now looking for a projector for a concept shoot. They are pretty unique in that they put out coherent light unlike a softbox and can overlay images or light patterns over a subject.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

Ive used an old one to project movies onto a white barn via a laptop. Set up the old Pioneer amplifier and big old Zenith speakers and we have a drive in experience in addition to a wiener roast. Kids love it!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

BebuLamar wrote:

When you can buy an 80" 4K TV for $1000 I don't see why I would use a much more expensive projector. It would be darker and not as sharp if not aligned carefully.

Right. It seems that these projectors would be used more for camping, meeting presentations, or improvised presentations.

I still have a large movie screen from the 1950s.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

elliott937 wrote:

Okay, here it is, from my experience. First, in ... (show quote)

Thanks.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

jerryc41 wrote:

I'm not sure if this belongs in Main or Chit-Chat, but here it is.

Do any of you use digital projectors for anything? A couple of the ukulele groups I visit use them to project songs onto a screen. Although some sell in the $1,000 range, there are perfectly acceptable models for under $100. Although I like the idea of having one, I can't find a way to justify the purchase. I would never use it to watch movies or TV, but they are very good for projecting - whatever - from a laptop.

I have noticed that virtually all corporations have ditched the projectors.
I saw a presentation Thursday on a tv that had to be at least 12' across and was sharp from normal viewing distance.
Perhaps for a fun movie night under the stars in the yard with BBQ and friends where dragging a huge tv outside vs a sheet hung up the projector easily wins but otherwise, no.

BebuLamar

Architect1776 wrote:

I have noticed that virtually all corporations have ditched the projectors.
I saw a presentation Thursday on a tv that had to be at least 12' across and was sharp from normal viewing distance.
Perhaps for a fun movie night under the stars in the yard with BBQ and friends where dragging a huge tv outside vs a sheet hung up the projector easily wins but otherwise, no.

I was going to replace the projector in our company conference room with an LCD TV but the projector uses a screen that normally cover a white board. When they want to use the white board the just retract the screen. So I can't find a good way to move the TV out of the way.