Hi,

Not sure if this is the place to ask, but here goes. I have some questions about DLP projectors, and wondered if anyone here has taken one apart. Basically i want to experiment with dlp projection, but im not in the position to throw $10k at TI for the dmd discovery kit. Are the dmd chips and associated chipsets in commercial projectors custom made for each projector? can i buy a bulbless dlp projector and harvest all the parts i need from that, or is the dmd controller integrated?

Also a technical question about this type of projector, anyone see a problem with making the color wheel and lightsource remote from the dmd chip, and using a optic fiber to provide the coloured light to dmd chip? ( I dont need anywhere near the light level a normal pj runs at, but i need the dmd and optics to be light as possible, so was hoping to relocate light source and color wheel).

Does anyone here know where i might find pinouts for dmd chips and the associated chipsets? theres some info on TI's page, but they have intentionally left out pin assignments and timing info.

Has anyone got any details of the optics requirements of dmd projection systems, other than what is provided on TI's page. One thing i would like to know is how heavy the dmd chip+optics would be (without light source).

Thanks

I've taken more than one apart . Anyway, your best bet is to get junk commercial DLP projectors off eBay to play around with. You can often get them for less than $100. I'm not sure what you want to accomplish. If all you wanna do is retrofit an alternative light source then get a junk one off eBay and I can help to bypass lamp indication. You may wanna DIY your own LED DLP projector instead to increase efficiency, decrease size, and cut the negative aspects of the color wheel. The beauty of it is that you can pull straight off the color wheel connector to power the LED's.

Take a look at this:

http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/i1478.html

I own an InFocus LP650 DLP projector with a little over 1000 hours left on the bulb. At about $500 replacement cost I am NOT looking forward to the day that bulb burns out. You mentioned having knowledge on modding the lamp or projector to use other lamps.

The LP650 is a 2500 lumen projector with an 800/1 contrast ratio. The picture is very bright, crisp, and contrast/grey/black levels, color and everything else is awesome. What can be done to use a cheaper lighting source and still get comparable image quality and brightness? I have been searching for a solution for a while now.

Is this topic in another forum or thread? Should a new thread be started on DIY modding of commercial projectors?

I think we are going to see a lot more people heading in that direction on this site. Therefore I am sure we will be starting threads recarding this. We are working twords being an all around DIY/ Home Theater site and undoubtebly our members are headed tword commercial projector mods. Esp. since we have our own commercial model about to hit soon! And us pesky kids can't stop taking things apart.
Bluto

Could anybody give me some basic assistance on what to look for to begin the lamp modificaiton process on my LP650? What info would I need to provide to get accurate advice? What specifically should I be looking at? Where should I begin? What basic components and parts will be involved in the modificaiton? What recommended equipment will I need? What risks are involved? What risk mitigations can be used? I don't mind helping forge the way on DLP modding but I will need assistance. I can take copious notes and pictures for future modders. Any help is appreciated!

Hey guys, new here. I really would appreciate ANY ideas. Long story short, I have a Sharp PG-D100U LCD liquid crystal display projector with a bad bulb. Lamp is a 265W Metal Halide and very expensive. Is there any way to use an alternative light source? Regardless, is there any way to bypass the systems "no bulb active or present" shut down function? With car lamps , auto foglights and all kinds of bulbs there should be some way around this especially with older units like mine that are only around 400 ANSI. Even if a seperate power source is need to use a different light source anything would be better than $295- $400. price ranges! Any ideas? Thanks ...

Ditto! I just picked up a lp1000 with no bulb and would like some ideas on how to go about mod's to replace with new light source.

Also does anyone know where to find some actual "tech" manuals and/or the firmware for the lp1000.
Infocus doesn't have either on there site. They have a real basic owners manual and that is it.

Thanks

t