So its been a decent year since I started talking up this awesome projector i was going to make so me and my film buddies could finally all fit around one screen. And i figure its about time i actually made it

Regardless of the hours of research, and unfortunately a faulty back-up/re-format that lost ALL my bookmarks, i feel like im pretty well versed and prepared in terms of putting this guy together. but then again, ive never actually worked with any of this equip in hand. so i have a list i was hoping you guys could glance over and give me the go ahead, given that were film students...and were poor.....and we cant break any LCDs........seriously.

But even though were poor, we've been saving up for some time. and we always say, the difference between the men and the boys is the size of their toys, and we love our nice toys. So were going with a build at nothing less than 1080p (wish we could go 4k ), with HDMI (hdpc compliant), VGA, and some components for fun. All the kids on the block are going to be bringing their toys over periodically to actually see the full potential of all this gear we've bought. So this projector needs to be able to handle the whole shabang, HD-DVD, BluRay, Xbox360, PS3, Wii, Laptop gaming, and pretty much anything else we can throw at it/fenangle around to get a straight HD signal from our cams (so we can watch dailies/HD shot that day before it goes to the editor and thrown into an NLE).

So with that, my parts list is as follows (prices to come after they've been bought):
(any recommendations are extremely appreciated)

1. Wuxga 15.4 LG LP154WU1
- ordering from ebay, depending on price, we might go with the Sharp
- i don't know that much about the inverters for either of these LCDs, but alot of the auctions come inverter-less. do i need to research a specific model number for compatibility, or do i have some leeway?

2. MST Controller from Johnzo's website
- i understand that these boards have been back-ordered recently, if this sounds like the right board for my build should i order soon to get it here on time?

3. Fresnels and Tripsfrom 3dlens.com
- which are right for my build? large/wide, which 2? I feel like an annoying n00b because i had all of my specs bookmarked after hours of searching, but not so anymore. General knowledge from the pros vs. a whole new search venture for me is greaaaatly appreciated.

4. Ballast and 400w bulb
- any recommendations from this post in terms of longevity?
- this is the part of the projector i know the least about, in terms of the ballast. when searching on ebay, i used to have a model saved that seemed to work for other PLOGers, any dos or donts?

5. LL Pro Lens and reflector
- how would i go about ebaying alternative high quality lenses. ive seen some great PJs with non LL lenses and would love to save a buck any way i can. as an aspiring cinematographer i know how important lens quality is in terms of its image, color reproduction, and focus...i just don't have the knowledge to apply it to non PL mounted, EOS, AF, or any other camera based lens system. ooh does anyone have a good histogram resource?

6. Wood, fans, electronics... thermo are all coming from parts laying around and will be incorporated into a future design once i have all my pieces in order.


And thats the ordering list i have so far...and the only thing im halfway certain on is the LCD, Controller Board, and Lens......thanks for any future help guys, i love this community and all the input and knowledge floating around here.

You won't need any inverter at all, unless you want to test the LCD before you strip the backlight off of it.
The inverter simply powers the backlight.
The MST controller comes with an inverter I believe, but, check Johnzos site to be sure.

You could try using a Beseler lens from ebay, I've heard the 18" FL ones might have trouble focusing the entire area of your 15.4" screen though. You'll probably want a long throw, so the PJ doesn't get in the way. It's also kindof nice to go with a moderate (80-100" ) projection, because at that size, it is still big, but it will also be bright enough. I'm using the LL standard lenses at the moment, and the throw distance is too short, while the image is too big, it must be over 120" and is a little on the dim side. It's great in a dark room, and useable during the day with shades over the windows, but a little added brightness would be nice.

Good luck with your build.

Sooo many pieces in the mail, sooo many more to be ordered/bought, but i want to run a couple deals by you guys for input....


So ive found a cheap dealer for ballasts with these specs...

Runs Mh Lamps!!!
No cooling fans or moving parts.
Designed to seamlessly integrate with most major brand reflectors and lamp cords.
Offers up to a 30% power savings compared to Magnetic Ballasts.
Increases Light output as much as 7%.
Fast Start-up, and completely silent operation.
Fcc Certified to produce no RF interference
CE certified to ensure safety of operation.
Comes with a 5 ft power cord. Standard 120 Volt with 3 Prong plug.
9 1/4" Length 4" Width 3" Height
6 Pounds 8 ounces in weight


its advertised as an electronic ballast and is intended for vegetation growth, but if i can pull off this deal and run it in a projector itll save me a great deal of money on my build.


and ive found a 14" beseler on ebay on the cheap, but the seller is unaware of its focal length. its 10 bucks at the moment, and i might just order it as a test lens. its 4" in diameter and 4" long, so its already got more of area then the pro triplet. ive heard of certain builds having issues with fitting the entire 15.4 image through the LLpro resulting in soft and darkened corners. what does the 14" mean? compared to an 18" beseler wich will run me 50 bucks more, for a shot in the dark.

The 14"/18" is the focal length of the lens. The 18" Beseler is wider wich means more light being captured by the triplet. Another positive of the 18" FL is that it requres a longer throw, which means you can place the projector farther out of the way behind the seating arrangement.

As others have mentioned, the 14" lens, when paired with a 15.4" screen, almost certainly would not allow you to place the projector behind the seating area. Make sure you punch your lens/fresnel/lcd numbers into Dazzla's Focal Calculator to get a sense of your screen size and throw before buying anything.

If that ballast is electronic and 400w, it should run any 400w MH bulb. That gives you a lot of flexibility.

You will need to decide on your triplet before you buy your fresnels. 220mm is pretty standard for the rear fresnel, but the front will depend on the FL of your lens. Use a 550mm with the 18" Beseler and the LL pro fresnel (advertised as 650mm but apparently closer to 600mm) with the LL Pro lens. Whatever the case, make sure there are bigger than your LCD by at least a 1/4" all the way around.

Thanks for the help guys.
I think Im going take a risk on both the ballast and the 14" beseler and thatll get me pretty damn close to build time!

I'm actually looking for a short throw. My living room is only 14 feet across, and i still need to accompany a 3 or so foot projector into it. My roomates and I also want to incorporate the projector into a 'media coffee table' in the future, which would require even a shorter pitch. Maybe that of 8-10 feet. So the 14 sounds like the right way to go as long as i can fit the whole image through the lens.

Another quick question, how do i determine both FL of my fresnels?

The LL FocalCalc will only let me type in one value in a split set up, and no values for a no-split (regarding the fresnels). A 220 front with the 15" triplet will give me 10 feet of throw and a 118" screen. Thats pretty much exactly what im looking for, but im still confused on where the second fresnel comes into the calculation.

Ive jumped around the forums for a bit trying to gauge why ordering from 3Dlens vs Lumenlab is so popular. I understand that you ideally want the fresnels to be larger than your LCD, but the measurements listed from LL are much bigger than 3Dlens. Not to mention they are cheaper. Can anyone shed some light on this dilemma,

anddddd how i would go about calculating my rear fresnel distance/focal length. I have been using the FocalCalc since it came out and never noticed that theres only one box for your fresnel. Anyway...

My samsung came in today, im super excited. an MST is in the mail, and all i need are some fresnels and some wood to make this puppy scream bright 1080p light. Ill be stripping my LCD soon with pictures, and im sure a lot of questions, does anyone have a quick samsung stripping guide off the top of their head? i know theres the indepth 20 or so page photo guided post that everyone asked questions on, but that was for the sharp if i remember right. I just want to make sure im stripping all the correct AG layers and not messing up my polarizer.

Some prefer the .2mm groove pitch for the 650FL fresnel because it makes a clearer picture. But a smaller groove pitch will also make a dimmer picture. I think both of these differences are very slight.

Okay, Okay, Okay.....

everythings here. in terms of what needs to be shipped, mst board just came in today, and wiring and making the box are the last and final steps.

One very important question though!
Can someone PLEASE link me to how to connect my LCD to the MST controller and accompanying power supply. Im contemplating stripping my board tonight, but i was hoping i could check the LCD beforehand. It already has an inverter and was wondering if i should use it or strip it first. Thanks for any help.

Bump. Bump. Bump.

I have a better description of what i need help doing at this link...
http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23156

it has pictures and a description so i dont sound super n00by. Only kind of n00by. Most of my concern is just getting a double check with my power source so i dont blow any of my 500 dollars worth of equip.