After looking through all the threads with incredible pictures I finally decided to get a membership and go for it. I am not sure exactly what to buy and wanted a little advice before I make the plunge. I have an ATI HDTV wonder and a resonable amount of HD content to watch, the games I play are on computer. I am wondering which parts would be the best to get for this. I've read a zillion threads so here is my content list idea. Any comments, even if it's that i'm totally wrong are welcome


-DAEWOO L1711MN w/DVI Silver 17" 8ms 700:1 ~already purchased 167 (was referb when I got it)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16824208002

-Bulb and Ballast I planned on getting from here at LL, but I see alot of people have other bulbs, is there any reason, or is the one here made more for a 15"?
https://secure.lumenlab.com/shop/product.php?id=44

-Pro lense kit. Thinking to get this from here at LL also. Any thoughts either way? or a cheaper alternative that looks as good? See alot of people getting longthrow lenses also, should I look into that?

https://secure.lumenlab.com/shop/product.php?id=39
-Reflector, i was going to wait on this until i get the rest setup and see how much it is needed.
-Edit, ended up getting the Pro reflector.

I orginally wanted to get a premade box simply because i dont' have the tools to make one. However i dont think i will be able to find one that will fit and 17". So i will have to drive a few hours to my parents house to make it (if all else)

I will begin posting pictures of the LCD and stripping it when it comes in. (should be 3 days or so) I'm pretty pumped after seeing everyones results here!

On my way home for the weekend but had to chime in that IF you go with a lamp planform compatible with the pro reflector I think it's a total no-brainer to go with the pro reflector. It's basically unanimous that it gives you mega-bang for your buck.

Best wishes for a smooth and satisfying build. Welcome aboard!

Thanks, I probably will now. It seems to be really cheap however I am not sure which bulb to go with, I would like to get it from LL but not 100% sure how it will work well with a 17". I think it will be good but not sure. Anyone with more experience (pretty much anyone) want to chime in?

I have the T15 from LL combined with the pro reflector, using a 17" Samsung 740N. Overall brightness and uniformity is absolutely stunning. There is absolutely no percieved dropoff at the corners. Just make sure you make your lamp adjustable so that you can get the arc in the exact center of the fresnel's focal point.

Hope this helps,
Nick

This helps alot actually, I think I will go with the T15 from LL now. I've read good things about the ballast from here also so i'll probably just get the kit and the reflector while i'm at it. Next thing I need to work on is the lenses. I'm going to do a bit more research on the lenses (not sure what mm frensel lenses to get) and i'll be posting my findings and i'll have some pictures of tearing down the lcd. Never done that before so it should be a treat

Well i've ran into a bit of a problem with ordering the lenses. After reading quite a few threads I decided on getting the Pro kit here from LL. However only the pro triplet is in stock, the fresnels will be out till middle of next month. I've looked around and can only find a 550mm fresnel at other sites as opposed to the 650mm in the pro kit. Will this be a problem? I saw that ChristmasGT, and probably others, were able to use less than a 650mm but they also had the long throw triplet (165mm I think).
So I guess my question is will I be ok with getting a 220mm (or 330), and a 550mm? What would be the difference if I waited for the 650 to come back into stock?

Got in my LCD today, it looks really good. I'm almost a little mad because the frame is nice enought that I almost don't want to tear it apart. I ordered my pro lense yesterday and a 220mm, 550mm from 3d lenses. I might start taking apart the lcd tonight, if so i'll post screens. Here it was it is like now.

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And from behind.
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Stripping went well, I have it finished and tested it (with a flashlight behind it) and it worked out. Fcc's had me a little scared but didn't break one yet.
here are the pics

With the outside panels removed
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The FCC with the metal still on the back of the LCD

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And finally the lcd by its self, it's upside down. FCC's seem a little fragile, now i know what everyone is always talking about.

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Everything has been shipped so I will be posting pictures as they come in and as I set them up. The box will be the last thing I get since I have to drive to my home town to build it.

does it accept a 1280x720 signal (letterbox it , not stretch)

don't bend the FFC's much , as little as possible. Also be careful about bumping the circuit board when installing or moving about. I bumped mine sideways hard and I was real real careful so watchout. Luckily mine was ok. Welcome to LL forums.
No Cats around I hope. I heard some bad stories.

The Book that came with it does not have it listed as a supported resolution, however I have not tried it. I will be using it with my computer (ati hdtv wonder) so I will be running it at 1280 X 1024. I dont' have anything to test it with at the moment that outputs 1280 x720

The ffc's make a funny noise when you move it, so i've tried to be extra careful. I have the lcd and circuit board packaged up in a box right now until the rest of the parts come in.
I locked that cats outside while I did this since they have a fasination with the tv trays I was working on.

any modern video card will be able to output 1280x720 60hz

try it out, as it is a big selling point for me as far as 17 inch monitors

i cant use ati-hdtv, i watch hbo and espn

I completely forgot to even try it with my computer. I'll give it a shot when my bulb comes in and I do a mock setup to make sure it works.

I do not have cable so the hdtv wonder works for me, I get ABC,CBS,NBC,FOX, PBS, and UPN all over the air np, most of the other HD content I download.

Awesome, thanks for your time .

Hmmmm . . . do they actually SAY anything to you or just grunt, snicker, groan, giggle, etc?

Try to enjoy your wait for parts. You can always try to read ALL the forums here.

lol They laugh at me trying to taunt me into accidently tearing them.... I know it will happen at the worst time

I got everything in this week except for my fresnels. The mogul seemed to be a bit crooked. I felt half retarded because I spent 10 minutes trying to screw in a light bulb It would not go in straight so I ended up taking out the metal piece and giving it a slight bend. After reassembling it and a few more tries it screwed on a straight. Horray at least I can do that right


Parts
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Here is a pic with the bulb crooked. It would always get really tight but I could tell something was fishy

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Finally it's in straight. The simplest thing was the longest battle.

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Here is my quick wiring, I used a double light switch and the pieces from the LL Kit. I was a little disapointed that the wiring kit didn't come with wire....
The light was flickery if it was vertical, I was under the impression that the T15 can be used in any position. Maybe it just has to be burned in a bit more. When I set it horizontal (mostly) it was a nice steady bright light. The ballast didn't have labels on the wires that run to the light so i'm guessing it doesn't matter, worked for me first try at least.
Now all I need are my fresnels to come in and i'm ready to get it together.

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Oh yea mikelish I havn't had a chance to unpack my lcd yet to check if it takes a 720P signal. I will post my results when I finally break it out.

have you tried antiglare or tac removal?

I have the same monitor and I used the mother's mag method, but I think I may need to break down and remove the antiglare and was hoping someone had done it before me.

rearden

I have not updated in awhile because i've had to order a new lcd. I put the lcd in the box and was trying to find a good distance for the lenses and bulb when I notice some crazy interference. I was moving the electronical bits away from the ballast to see which one was causing it when it turned off. It will not turn on no matter what now. No light no nothing.
I guess I could try the antiglare removal if it is completely shot just to practice and help you out. I'm not sure what exactly is wrong and I can't get ahold of their customer support.

I ordered a samsung 740b and should be here today. Also after seeing how ugly my box was (I dont' have any tools to really work with) I orded one from tescorp ealier this week.
If anyone has any tips or knows how I could resurrect my lcd feel free to tell me.