OK, aside from the joys of DIY, is building a projector based on the MST controller and 10.6" panel worth it from a value standpoint? The value is strong for some of the other projects (e.g. 1080p proj), but for this one, I'm not sure...The controller and panel are what, ~$300? the cheapest way to get the optics and light are probably from a used projector (e.g. the ask impressions) which vary widely in cost, but probably average $100. So, $400 for a 720p projector at about 400 lumens. I've seen used (native) 720p projectors (e.g. sanyo plv-z2 & z3) for less than $500 recently on craigslist and ebay. The bulb cost is a bit of an advantage here as 750hr $50 vs $270 for 3000hr. Going from scratch and using cheaper bulbs (longer lasting) would probably save money in the long run, but you might need to buy a new ballast as well? One last benefit of DIY is repairability and reusability of part for new projects... especially if an affordable 10"ish 1080p panel comes out.

So, I think the main question here is quality. How does an MST/10.6 compare to one of the recent vintage 720p 3lcd commercial projectors that can be had for the same initial cost? I think the brightness (once calibrated) would be roughly the same... from reports here, it sounds like the evenness will be comparable? how about the remaining facets of PQ? bottom line, which one would be more enjoyable to watch a movie on? excluding the DIY pride factor, of course!

Thanks,
-d

Besides the joy and feel of accomplishment of building a 10.6'' HD diybeamer there is still a noticeble pricedifference between a diy and factorymade beamer. In the netherlands, where i live, a good functioning HDbeamer is still around $1000. So for me it's still worthwhile to make one myself.


besides: the buls are far more then 400 lumens. a diy bulb can be up to 30000 lumens and will take you over 10000 hours for onely $50.

This is a very open ended question, and may simply turn into yet another debate of commercial vs. DIY... i'll attempt not to do that...

Things you should know before you determine what's most important to you. The ask impression retrofit is a good idea, but those projectors are few and far between. Jonjandran's PJ is a one-off, maybe someday we'll be able to source similar components and get similar results, but not yet. That PJ also uses a 575W light source, which would be concidered "old technology" of the commercial world. The "trend" at the moment is trying to use a 150W ceramic lamp with this panel, but certainly larger wattage lamps are going to give better brightness, but it's certainly not a 1:1 increase in lumens based on an increase in wattage, a lot of that has to do with arc lengths, triplet sizes, etc. New commercial PJ's are using UHP lamps in the 150-200W range with integrated reflectors to get the same lumen output. The 10.6" MST inputs aren't exactly "perfect", but they may certainly be good enough depending on how you will be using the PJ.

Can someone make a DIY PJ that rivals the quality of a commercial unit. Yup. Lots have done it, including myself... at this point you can be directed to The Mother of all LL vs Commercial Topics... yea, it was closed at the back of the end of last year as people get pretty heated over the subject about something being "better" over something else. We don't want this thread to become that one...

good luck, and I hope my ramblings helped in some capacity.
gs

10.6 inch LCD (1280x768) and HDMI controller
Triplet 320mm
Fresnals 220/320mm
lamp 150w/6k4, and philips ballast