I'm planing on using a 17"Sharp LL-M17W1 monitor/tv !!!! This is one bad a** monitor/tv check out these specs:

Max resolution 1280 x 768 ,
Dot pitch 0.289 mm ,
Color support 24-bit (16.7M colors),
Image brightness 400 cd/m2,
Image contrast ratio 600:1'
Max vertical view angle 170'
Max horizontal view angle 170,
Max sync rate (V x H) 75 Hz x 60.2 KHz

not to mention it has picture in picture,a 181 tv tuner built in,and Multiple input signals accepted including 1 x Analog PC video input, 1 x PC audio input, 1 x Composite(RCA) and 1 x S-Video video inputs, 1 x Component (Y/Pb/Pr) video input, and 2 x Composite (L/R) audio inputs. Yes, your Cable TV coaxial cable attaches directly to the monitor- what could be easier?

Now all I need to know is how big will this box need to be ???
I'm a newbee to this but when I do something, I like to go all out !!!!

PLEASE LEAVE ANY INPUT YOU GUYS HAVE !!! best lenes, lighting ect
THANK YOU !!!!!
BILL

That is a nice monitor. Plan to spend over $200 on your fresnel lenses alone. Sadly the large fresnels are a specialty item that must be obtained from specialty optics suppliers at a high cost. If you're still interested in pursuing this avenue let me know and I'll get some links for you.

I hope that model works! I would use one of them if it did...but then again it does cost $620, a bit out of my price range!

And, you might as well pay $40 more and get a Viewsonic 19" Flat Panel Monitor: VG900b. It features 600:1 Contrast Ratio, 1280 x 1024, Response Time: 25ms.

I don't think we can can get fresnels that big, but I could be wrong. The actual size of the projector wouldn't bother me, so if it was useable, and I had the cash, I'd get it.

I don't have the cash and don't know if it will work, so you may want to try!

If it does work, I can't wait to see the results this baby can produce!

picture in picture would be pretty cool, but with the right software and a couple TV cards that can be done on any monitor

I just had to drag this one up from the back of the pack.

Soon we will be able to use 17", and maybe larger, when the zoom package is finalized.

this, for all you budding 17" ers is nolonget the case. Allan (diylabs.org) is selling large fresnells for 30-50 buks a pair.

Last I heard the quality of Alan's lenses was still questionable...

Cruser and JCB have done some digging and thay think that the lenses will be quite good, even Alan has to have good products somtimes lol