Projector TV Question

[makemineatwostroke]

Guys I am redoing my TV system does anybody use the projection TV in their bus I bought a HD Panasonic projection system with Blu-ray DVD player and a 50" pull down screen I guess this question should have been asked before I purchased but better late than never do you guys know of any problems with these unit.I have a 50" Sony Plasma in a pop up cabinet now it takes up to much space with the slides and there is allways a problem with the Sony plus it is very expensive to repair,these projection units take up no space and I know the lamp cost $300.00 when it goes according to the book they last 2000hrs plus, any input would be appreciated thanks and have a great day

[niles500]

I don't know about THAT lamp in particular - but I wouldn't go down the road until it has completely cooled - filaments are real soft when hot - FWIW

[makemineatwostroke]

Thanks Niles it tells you in the book that movement doesn't hurt the lamp that was a question I asked before buying    have a great day

[JohnEd]

MMa2,

I sure hope we see pictures of this install.  I plan to purchase a projector for other applications and if it fit the bus 2B that would be super.

Thanks,

John

[makemineatwostroke]

JohnEd; I saw these in a Marathon conversion in Oregon but I didn't want the 80in screen they used it looked like a drive in movie in the small area    Have a great day

[WEC4104]

The question raised regarding movement before it has cooled made me think about commercial airline flights.  The really big jets (think 2 aisles) often have projection units and a screen on the bulkhead behind first class.  They shut these down right before landing, and believe me, I've experienced landings equal to any bump you're going to get on the bus.  Granted, to the airlines, the cost of a bulb is about equal to 10 seconds of engine idle time, so maybe they don't care.

To me, a projector style TV seems practical ONLY if you don't plan to watch while in motion. But that is just my personal opion.

[Blacksheep]

50 inch? Why do people need such large tv's? I'm doing good watching my little 17 incher! I think if I had a 50 inch I would have to stand in the br to watch it in the lr!

Ace

[WEC4104]

I think if I personally went with a projection style unit, I would plan to be able to move it outdoors if I wanted. Hang a large sheet from the awning, and my kids would have a ball with their own drive-in movie theatre. Of course extra popcorn would be needed for the kids from the other campsites.

[makemineatwostroke]

Ace; that is one of the best features of the units you can watch any size you disire up to 50 inches or more with the 80 inch screen   


WEC4104; I plan on doing just what you are talking about only without the sheet (never thought of it) but a bigger screen for outdoor use

[WEC4104]

For the larger outdoor screen you might also consider using a screen material suitable for a rear projected image. I am sure your projection unit has the option to project the flip-flopped mirror image. Outdoors you probably aren't going to want to set up an elaborate sound system, and having the sound appear to come from the screen is easier to make happen with the rear projection. Just a thought.

[basil]

I am really eager to install a projector in my conversion.  Even the relatively cheap ones just seem to throw stunning images on the crappiest screens.  I am very interested to hear how it works out for you, and if anyone has heard of an actual lamp failure due to movement.  Please let us know.

BTW, there are lots of inflatable outdoor screens up to 12 feet or so across that work well (and you can air them up from the bus supply).

For the indoor screen I am planning to use Roll-Ease tubes and clutches and Pfifer Sheerwave material.  I want an acoustically transparent screen inside so the center channel will come right through the screen and the left and right channels will not be obscured since the narrow bus will not allow wide placement.  Acoustically transparent screens are incredibly expensive, but they are just the Phifer sun shade type material with some extra chemicals sprayed on them (which are not necessary).  It worked really well in the home theater I made which has a 13 foot wide screen.

[boogiethecat]

Lamps are not the failure points in any of these projectors, because they are arc lamps, not incandescent lamps (they have no filaments to break)

What does fail is the little spinning color wheel inside that allows the cheaper DLP (non-LCD) projectors to create colors.  It's a tiny glass wheel that spins really fast and a good clunk will break it, at which point the projector is trash because a replacement costs more than the projector!

My guess is, if properly mounted and you don't go off-roading with your bus, especially while watching movies, almost any projector will be just fine.

Cheers
G

[makemineatwostroke]

basil; i looked at the acousticall screens but thought 5 to 10 grand was out of my budget for a tv screen but they are nice  thanks for the input 

thanks for the info boogiethecat mine is a LCD

[JohnEd]

Guys,

I bought vid for a Command and Control center a long while back.  I did research back then to make an informed decision.  Forgot most of it but some stuck.  One item stands out...the diagonal measurement of the screen  determins the "min" viewing distance.  I believe the number is 6 to 8 but it has been 19 years and large screens were just comming into use.  I guess that means that Ace is correct in that a 50 inch screen would require the viewer to be 400 inches from the screen....that is 33.3 feet and that puts Ace in the bedroom for opt viewing.  These numbers sem quite a bit large to me and maybe someone has fresher data.

Wondering,

John

[Blacksheep]

John, this afternoon I went out to the bus, well I was working n it anyway, and cut a 50 inch piece of wood. I set it at the only place I could and that was at the top of the steps. I went back as far as I possibly could, which in my bus is the bathroom and it STILL looked huge! I cannot imagine looking at a screen that large IN a bus. In fact as I type, I am sitting in front of a 27 inch and I'm about 8 feet from it and the viewing of it is perfect. Not too big, not too small!
I remember back when the projection screens first came out and they were so distorted, they could hardly be watched! Now that I think about it, I have a 102 inch coach and looking for more room as it is. I just can't imagine a TV that would be barely used when camping, taking up THAT much space! Heck when we go off in our bus, the ONLY time we use our tv is one, when the weather is nasty, two real late at night when everyone else has turned in, I might catch a late show, or three, tuned into bluegrass junction and that means sound only!
That's one reason why I installed my small 17 inch diagonal, 12 inch tall tv IN a cabinet! To get it OUT of the way and to gain space! 

Ace