Hey guys, been a troll of this forum for about six months, and never got the balls to antee up and do something worth while... well, I have decided to go ahead and try this out. I'm pretty experienced in DIY projects, and I am well versed on the techno terms of these projectors.... just a couple of questions if any of you guys don't mind answering:

1) Dell LCD Control Board: I have two LCD screens from a laptop (stripped from an inspiron and other).. obviously there are no inputs.. but I was reading around and hit up on mydiazclan's pj. In his he states that he found a Dell LCD control card (with all the inputs) from a dead-beat dell LCD screen (not meant for laptops)... was wondering what I would need to get my LCD's working with a control board... would be MUCH cheaper this way. If ya'll need pics of the connectors, here they are:

DELL Quanta 14.1" TFT LCD Screen QD141X1LH01


15" DELL Inspiron 2500 LCD Panel


alright, now the second question...
2) I have a 14' (foot) throw I need to achieve... and the area in which I want to project is: 112" wide and 60" tall. I'm not sure, but I have tried to use the calculator and I can't figure it out for the life of me. Is this achievable with a diy pj? what will I have to do? do I need the pro or normal lense to do so?. I know 1 posters suck.. I know... but if ya'll have any computer oriented questions I will be more than happy to help =)

Let me know if you can do anything to help, or hey, just say hello if ya can't!

Stripping the second LCD down even more it is a LG LP150X2 XGA

boscoz, what does the connection on the other end look like. The connection closest to the LCD. Take a photo of the that connection. It should be a lvds connection - either a 20, 25, or 30 pin connection. It will probably be a flat connection which slides in. If it is, you can probably use the Dell input board or similar LCD TV control kit.

LCD 1 - QUANTA Display QD141X1LH01


LCD 2 - LG LP150X2 (A2DL) XGA


LCD 3 - Chunghwa CLAA150XH01


And, would something like this do the job?:

eBay Link: TFT LVDS Controller

1. Good luck.There are several different possibilities for LCD screens from control boards, but one with the same resolution is more likely to work. Other than that, the likelihood for cross-controlling an LCD like that is probably low. FWIW, the newer LCD is more likely than the older.

2. 14' throw, for a 120" or smaller image... This is far more likely to fall into the realm of a 17"/pro lens project than a 15"/standard lens project, however, just to be sure...

If you want to be able to use the full throw (Projector at the back of the room, for example) then the pro lenses, or possibly an 18" besseler lens are what you'll be looking for. The screen probably won't fill your entire projection area, but it'll still be big, and you'll have very good results.

If you want to be able to use the whole projection area (BIG screen) and don't mind a shorter throw, then a 15"/standard lens will do the trick fine. I found that I ended up with the projector at about the same distance from the screen as the seating area was comfortable. (This is ultimately why I upgraded to a 17"/pro lens, the 720p capability was a bonus.)

You will need to prioritise your criteria for a build. If you're looking to do things on the cheap, then the LCDs you have, with maybe a used controller from eBay or from a dead monitor, standard lenses, you could probably do it.

If you want the longer throw, then you need a smaller panel or a longer throw lens.

Best of luck on your project!

Thanks for your response!

It all depends... I probably would like to stick with a budget but I am the kind of person that if I am going to do something, I do it the best... that being said, I'll probably be spending way more than I had in mind lol

I was noticing that:
smaller screen + pro lens = longest throw
smaller screen + standard lens = medium throw
larger screen + standard lens = shortest throw

What exactly was that "18" besseler lens" you were talking about? Is that the same price as the pro?

Thanks a ton, god I feel like a big noob lol I love the DIY scene though, LL is a great community.

Thanks again -

Your LG panel has a ...well a LG plug on it. I have swaped a few controlers and it worked once.

I have a controler that will plug in but I think it's dead, all the caps are bloated.

The LG plug is different than most of the others so you will need a controler fron a LG panel with the same rez.

The problem here is by the time you find a controler from a bad LCD and have it shipped you could spend a few more and get a working LCD.

There has been a few people that trashed there LCD's so maybe a posting in the trading post for a 15" LG controler?

Thanks for the response, do you happen to know about the other two? I'll check out the trading thing just now, thanks.

Imagine the screen being projected in the red square above my computer... awesome. Just thought I'd show you this picture since I am so proud of my setup lol