I am about to start my project and just had a few questions.

Can someone explain a little about antiglare layers to me? Yeah I know there are tons of threads about it here, but they seem too technical. Do all LCDs have an AG layer? Are they all a pain to remove? Anyone have and before/after shots showing the difference it makes?

I know the point of this is to make the screen bigger, but if you wanted to make the screen smaller, do you just move it closer to the wall and adjust the focus?

Has anyone tried putting two bulbs into their PJ to help make it brighter when the room has lights on? Just curious if this would be a stupid idea or what.

Looking at the list of "popular" monitors I am finding it hard to find any of these new. The guide says to put the best quality into the PJ to get the most out of it, so I am hesitant to buy a refurb monitor off ebay only b/c I know it works. I have been looking on Newegg trying to find compatable monitors with no issues, but always end up in way over my head.

How do you find the "independantly tested" results for contrast ratios? I noticed they varied from factory specs, and didn't want to get disappointed later when they proved to be wrong.

Thanks for your time, and forgive my newbness.

Antiglare is a somewhat bumpy/diffusive layer over the LCD that reduces the reflected image of the room and improves viewing angles. The majority of LCDs have antiglare surfaces. Newer, (often more expensive) LCDs sometimes have dichroic anti-reflection coatings that have little or no diffusion. These would be highly preferred for projection.

Some antiglares are easy to remove, some are a pain in the kiester. Do your homework. Read the threads.

Nearly everyone who has successfully removed their antiglare has reported improvements in picture quality and brightness. Some claim it should be considered essential to any build. However, there is a reason this technique is discussed under the 'Extreme Mods' section. It's not for the faint hearted or light of pocketbook. Use your discretion.



Yes. There are limits, of course, but that's basically it.



You can't focus on two different bulbs with the standard setup and have the light from both hit the triplet. Two bulbs have been tried, but it requires something different than the standard build. Try searching 'frankenfresnel'.



The known good/strippable monitors are often older because people have doing this for years. It's your choice. Go with tried and true for safety or be a pioneer and strip a fancy new panel with great specs with the knowledge that you can't take it back once you take that cover off.



I don't know of a good source for this. Why bother? Do your own independent testing. Head down to the computer store and compare for yourself. You don't need any special gear, just pick the image that looks the best to you. Contrast ratio and response time are just numbers on the box. Trust your eyes.



No forgiveness. Sorry, you're screwed.

ok, more newb questions...

(thanks for the help on the others btw)

About the lenses, when shopping around for price, what should I look for when determining good quality, the right size for my monitor (17in), etc.? The guide doesn't say much about what you need, or sizes, etc. Just gives technical info, little guidance on quality etc. (even premium guide)

Should I bother shopping around for better prices or will the LL deals be the cheapest around?

The standard LL lenses are cheap and reliable, but 17" is pushing their capabilies to the limit. There are lots of factors to choosing the right lens.

Look, a few short answers will probably mislead as much as direct you. You really should just spend some time reading the forums for a couple of weeks. These questions come up over and over and have been addressed at length. There is a wealth of information here, go find it. Use the search function for topics you are interested in. For search terms under 3 letters, use google like this "ffc site:www.lumenlab.com".