100 inch projection TV for $9.99? Should I or Shouldn't I?
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page| Thread | Last Poster | Posts | Last Post | |
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| Archive through December 03, 2004 | YIDAL | 100 | ||
| Archive through September 12, 2004 | Gadgit | 100 | ||
| Archive through January 03, 2004 | Stephen Holmes | 100 | ||
| Archive through October 30, 2003 | Gadgit | 217 |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 52 Registered: Dec-03 | Jeez, Yidal. Chill out. I didn't scam ya, so don't get all pissy at ME. You may have a problem with my posts, but I'll wager that folks who come across this forum are glad to find out the real deal. In fact, you admit to being one of them - the only problem seems to be that you didn't find this forum soon enough to get the plans for free. So, just because you didn't don't crank and argue at somebody on the internet you don't even know and will never meet. Take a pill! :-) |
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Masterjaden Unregistered guest | look if you guys want to know a good way to get a quality lcd projection system look at http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20041113/index.html they have detalied instructions to use ohp and a used 14 or 15 in. lcd monitor to give a qaulity projection screen. you can then use a computer at xga resolution to watch movies or tv with a tv tuner card for a total cost of 300 dollars and you can replace lenses for a hell of a lot less than an lcd projector. have fun. Jaden |
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Santa Claws Unregistered guest | Hey guys. I bought the plans for the huge tv off a guy from down my street. I gave him $30 and in return he printed me off the plans on his computer. I could never get the box to work and the guy threatens me now everytime I ask him for help. I would say to stay away from any door to door salesmen selling this scam. maybe some off them work but I feel ripped off big style and $30 poorer as well |
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lenny - the irish connection Unregistered guest | Hey guys, wise and unwise. I've enjoyed reading all of the threads posted here. This was the 1st day of research into home theater projection, and it's been enlightening to have stumbled upon this forum. It seems to me Stephen has his head screwed on about these, as he rightly says "scams" which promise big results for little cash. I have decided to buy a second hand pre-built lcd projector, probably from ebay. Importantly I will be checking the availability of bulbs and the price of replacements before I buy the projector, as one of the comments rightly pointed out. I want the projector to be ceiling mounted, out of the way and permanent, so the diy option (even the superior project named by masterjaden, above) would be to bulky and inaccessable. I look forward to being able to network my dvd/tv/pc and enjoy large screen viewing every day. Thanks again everybody for their input. It's been worth the read. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 53 Registered: Dec-03 | Santa Claws - But, people like Yidal beg to differ with your opinion of feeling ripped off. The Yidals on this board claim "I COULDNT CARE LESS IF SOME DUDE IS LIVING THE LIFE OF LUXURY ON MY FEW POUNDS AS I DONT KNOW THEM AND COULNT GIVE A CRAP ABOUT 3 QUID". So, using Yidal's logic, what's your problem?? You shouldn't give a crap about your $30. In fact, you should feel good that some "dude" is getting over on you with this scam. Further, Yidal writes: "THEN IMAGINE WHAT MOST THINK OF YOUR ONGOING BATTLE TO SAVE THE WORLD WITH URM....YOURSELF". Well, for every Yidal, BigBear and Chocolatebutterfly, there are a five Lennys on this board. Scroll back through this board and compare the posts for yourself. I welcome discussing the details in difference of opinion. But, I don't see the point in arguing just to argue. Especially about something as inane as television. I'm not out trying to "save the world". I'm just exposing one of the biggest scams on the internet for what it is. Who could have a problem with that? I have no way of knowing who runs a scam site. My detractors SAY they don't, but I sorta kinda suspect they do. If you enjoy your fresnel lens TV, why would you care what anyone thinks - especially some yokel on the internet you don't even know and will never meet? Why are the Big Bears and Yidals so bombastic and hostile? The only way I can make sense of their approach is if you run a scam site, hell yes this board is a threat because blowing the lid off the scam keeps potential dollars out of your pocket. It's not enough to simply disagree - those who honestly expose their scam must be silenced. |
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Santa Claws Unregistered guest | Hey guys, just an update on my previous experience with buying the plans from a guy down my street for $30. I finally convinced the guy to land round to my house and help me set the projector up properly. He was quite understanding after all this time and now thanks to him I have a 150" screen setup. He reccommended changing the frsnel lenses to a better quality lens called carbon-optic multi lateral lenses. Granted this cost a further $90 but I find they work far better and would advise anyone wishing to make this project to use carbon-optic multi lateral lenses instead of the supplied fresnel ones, thanks for you time guys |
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Budget TV Hero Unregistered guest | I FEEL GREAT!!! OOOOOOHHHH! I just bought one of those seriously sweet TV things from ebay!! Jesus christ it rocks!! I dont know much about the technical side of things but he said he fitted mine with these special ATI Turbo Lenses that have a special imaging processing chip in them which is powerfull as a Sega Saturn!! I also got this bling sound system with mine to!!!! The guy said that the speakers he sold me were the very highest quality, the speakers were made in Turkey or some where like that and are something like 0.0067 watts all together. And these have triple sub woofers fitted inside the processor as well!!!!!! The guy said all this usually costs $15,000 but I got it all for $250!!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!!! |
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Gadgit Unregistered guest | Santa claws... The lens you are refuring to is better knowen as a triplet lens, can you provied specs ie. focal lenght and dia. and maybe a link to where to get these lenses at this price as all triplet lenses over 120mm dia cost over $200usd and the lens needs to be more then 120mm dia to get a bright image |
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Unregistered guest | I was about to buy a max-theatre system, I was also going to get a package of 3 at the price of 2. I even thought about reselling it. But I decided to first try to find a forum about users of such systems and see what they think as I always do before buying anything whether from the internet or even from stores. Thank god I came here and thank you all guys for doing this. God bless you Stephen Holmes. I also have a question. In stores around me, magnifier lesnse, I think, are made of glass. And they are convex both directions(the ones with a handle, ands sometimes with a light). Is this lens a suitable one, as I don't have frensel lenses here around.? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 54 Registered: Dec-03 | Hypermatter - thank you for your kind words. Folks like Yidal and BigBear get on this board trying to put me down but don't realize that most people just want the truth. The scam sites sure aren't going to tell the truth and yet they don't seem to want the truth told on this board - a board set up to convey the truth. Your kind post totally offsets Yidal's when he (or she) writes: "IMAGINE WHAT MOST THINK OF YOUR ONGOING BATTLE TO SAVE THE WORLD". Well, your post just about says what most people think. Thanks again. Also, just because you choose not to petition a scam site doesn't mean you shouldn't try out the fresnel lens system for free. Scroll up on this board and download the plans. Then if you don't like it, what have you lost but a couple of bucks - the price of a fresnel lens from the office supply store? As for your other question about magnifieer lenses, Gadgit would be the one to answer that question. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 55 Registered: Dec-03 | You can order a fresnel lens online from the Staples or Office Max outlets for about $7. Just get on their main sites and type "magnifier" in their search engine. The Office Max site even lists their item as "fresnel lens magnifier". |
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Clarkey_4_Real Unregistered guest | Hey! I just wanted to say thanks as well. I too was all set to buy the Max-Theater scam, and get the buy 2 get 1 free deal! But I'm in Canada so I was talking about $30 each with shipping. This forum totally saved me some cash! Now I know what I'm getting into. I may build the Frenzel Lens system but I hate the idea of taping it to my TV. What's that about? And the funny thing is the Max-Theater site says you can "Mount it on your Ceiling!" How do you mount your tv on your ceiling? I'm glad I didn't fall for it. I think that I'm just going to bite the bullet, spend about $1000 to $1500 and get a SVGA Front Projector for my basement. Hell, I just want it for Xbox games and movies. |
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Zman1111 Unregistered guest | Hi Guys, First off I would like to thank all you guys for taking the time to inform all of us about these sites. I am a college student and I was about to shell out 20 bucks when I stumbled across this post. The common consensus seems to be that the picture quality using a fresnel lense is pretty bad. I live in a dorm room and don't have the space for a 100" or 150" screen, but i was wondering what the picture quality would be like on a smaller screen say 30" - 40". I have a 14" toshiba tv that works great, but playing multiplayer xbox games on it is agonizing to say the least. Would it be worth spending my time over the weekend building one of these contraptions. Appreciate any comments/advise. |
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Unregistered guest | Thnx Gadgit, I found this link. I think it's beautiful. http://www.audiovisualizers.com/madlab/lcd_proj.htm |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 56 Registered: Dec-03 | Hypermatter - that's a good link you post. However, my opinion is when you explode the image on a tiny 5-12 inch LCD monitor, the resolution lines get exploded as well. My meager efforts at building one of these units produced a large image, all right - but one that appeared as if I was looking at it through the bars of a jail cell. For an example of what I'm talking about, on your computer try zooming in on very tiny computer GIF or JPEG. It gets larger, but so do the pixels, making for a poor quality picture. You can imagine how resolution suffers when you blow a 5-12 inch image up to 12-1/2 feet. If anyone who has built one of these units knows a way around this problem, I'd be interested knowing what it is. That's why I think the larger LCD monitor or overhead platen ideas are better. You start out with a high resolution video display to work with. Otherwise, the audiovisualizer site has some great tips. |
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Yule tide wishes Unregistered guest | I know whats going on here, Stephen is on a scam.. ..he's the worlds largest manufacturer of Frensel lenses.. now it all makes sense, today the Ecoustics forum, tommorow THE WORLD!! *chuckle* (Seriously though, listen to the guy.. he does make alot of sense. Thanks.) |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 57 Registered: Dec-03 | Curses! Foiled again!!!! :-) |
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AtlantaLynne Unregistered guest | I noticed that there are several posters on this thread that purchased these kits only to rethink the matter and feel 'scammed'. I think we only really feel scammed though when we find that it's not so easy to send the product back for a refund. Has anyone other than Stephen Holmes been successful in petitioning any of the 'scam' companies to get their money back? How did you manage to do that if those companies don't post their phone numbers and they don't return your email? Maybe you (Stephen?) can help some others on this board or future readers of this board if you can arm them with the info-ammo they need to get their money back too. Any information you discovered such as street addresses, phone numbers, copies of documents needed to send the product back, etc. would be helpful I'm sure, especially since it's information those companies don't seem to want to publish themselves. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 58 Registered: Dec-03 | Atlanta - it's not JUST about getting a refund (though that is an issue because many posters - including myself - have had problems getting their money back from these sellers that promise "a full refund if not satisfied"). It's that the product is not what the scam sites claim it is. You are, in effect, buying snake oil. Some of these sites charge up to $30 for a nothing but a couple of xeroxed pages of "plans" and a fresnel lens and the finished product produces a joke of a big screen image. The best ammo I can suggest is don't get involved with scam sites in the first place. If you want to build fresnel lens TV, just get the "secret" plans for free (in a second's download instead of waiting for them to be shipped), buy your own fresnel lens and leave it at that. You can get the plans free on this board or by surfing the internet for other variations of the plans. Then there won't be an issue about getting a refund. |
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Rufi Unregistered guest | Oh noooo!! Guys i am late.. i fell for max theater.. i have made the payment to them just yesterday .. and while surfing the net for reviews i found yr opinions.. i wish if i had seen that before ordering.. the worse is that i'll have to pay the same amount of $30 as custom duty in my country  |
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Mad Ged Unregistered guest | Stephen, I would also like to thank you and the others who have posted here. I am reasonably tech-savvy and wary of scammers, but I was just about to click the submit button on the max theater site (it is still open in another browser window!) I thought I should do a google search for user opinions and found this forum just in the nick of time. I was aware that it would not be possible to get anything near a quality image but thought it might be a fun experiment and not too expensive. What I did not realise was that all you get is crappy plastic magnifiers and instructions to assemble a cardboard box! I am pissed off at nearly being ripped off but have enjoyed reading all the posts - I now know more about projection systems than I can use. Isn't the free exchange of information on the Internet a wonderful thing? Stephen, your articulate, intelligent and witty posts were a pleasure to read, more power to you! Keep sticking it up the scammers. |
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Mad Ged Unregistered guest | Hey everybody! Look what I just discovered on another website. Pasted below for your information. Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Washington, North Idaho & Montana 508 W. Sixth Avenue; Suite 401 Spokane, WA 99204 BBB Reliability Report Max Theater P O Box 30381 Spokane, WA 99223 General Information Original Business Start Date: January 2002 Principal : Mr. Tom Delanoy Owner Phone Number: (509) 999-3968 Fax Number: (509) 448-0903 Membership Status: No Type-of-Business Classification: Internet Shopping Services The information in this report has either been provided by the company, or has been compiled by the Bureau from other sources. BBB Membership On January 27, 2004 this company's membership in the BBB was revoked by the BBB's Board of Directors due to failure to cooperate with the BBB on advertising matters. Customer Experience Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to unanswered complaint(s). The company has resolved most complaint(s) presented by the Bureau; however, the Bureau did not receive a response to other complaint(s). Complaints concern delay in the delivery of the ordered product. In addition, the company failed to respond to the Bureau concerning their website advertising by providing substantiation or making modifications. The company offers a product that magnifies the picture of your existing television. Additional Information Additional Doing-Business-As Names: maxtheater.com MyImax.com Additional Phone Numbers: 509-448-0903 |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 59 Registered: Dec-03 | Wow! Thanks to all who gave me the Big Ups! This is why I don't concern myself with posters like BigBear and Yidal. In my book, they aren't the ones that count because all they do is argue and call names. I hope Rufi gets the money back and it warms my heart to know that others here pulled up sending in their cash after reading this forum. I may not be able to "find the words to save my great nation" (to paraphrase Yidal, above). But, it's evident that I can at least save a few unwarry consumers some of their hard-earned cash and that depressed helpless feeling after getting taken. |
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Rufi Unregistered guest | hey guys, i dunno if i'll get my money back or wont, but i am glad you guys are doing yr efforts to save other people fm making a mistake.  and stephen, i'll let you know if i am able to get my refund fm those fakes ;) |
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Anonymous | As for the problem of getting your screen to flip properly, GET A PROGRAM TO DO IT, FFS, are you guys dum, why the hell would you flip your computer over or get another lens when you can flip it using a program? |
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Anonymous | hey, can anyone tell me how to make a decent screen for my home theatre projector? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 60 Registered: Dec-03 | Anon -- I know some folks don't like my long posts, but I have to get kind of wordy to answer your question re: making a screen. If you're making your own screen, you have to be one hell of an inventor. I tried a bed sheet. It bleds light. Cardboard painted white is cumbersome and there's no way to get an absolutely smooth surface. So, I use a HUGE sheet of white window shade fabric. Got it from a shade manufacturer for about $30 and actually had to cut it down to size to fit my living room. Then I went to the hardware store and bought a wooden railing pole about 15 feet long, which I had to saw down to size. I took some tacks and duct tape to secure the shade to the pole so I could roll and unroll it. For hanging this monster (which may be your major frustration, depending on your room layout) my living room has decorative ledges near the ceiling where the pole sits nicely, allowing me to roll it down by hand. Since the pole is so long, it sags in the middle -- to solve this problem I got a paint brush telescope adjustable-type extension pole and attached a hardware store hook to the top of it. This hooks the pole in the middle and gives me a nice, level screen. Now, let me say that I also made a 10 foot wide screen the same way that is so light in comparison to the 12-1/2 foot wide screen that I do not need to use anything to brace it in the center. So, keep in mind that if you have a smaller big screen, it may not sag under its weight and you're home free. Just hang it, unroll it and you're ready. I know my description probably makes no sense, but even if it did, my screen is manufactured to fit my house. Yours would be of an entirely different design to fit your entertainment room. In fact, I had a devil of a time finding an outlet stocking a big enough sheet of window shade fabric. The general stores don't sell anything near the size that I needed. However, I don't know what size room you are dealing with. The shade warehouse sold me a large sheet (that they were going to throw away, in fact) for a lot cheaper than I could get a shade in the store. And, figuring out how to hang it will be a major frustration. At one point, I even considered suspending the screen roll from plant hooks in the ceiling, but disgarded that idea in favor of first trying out just seating my screen on the cailing ledges I spoke of. My design isn't fancy and it has to be unrolled and rolled by hand, but as screens go, it's dirt cheap (I didn't spend hundreds of dollars!) and when the lights go out the picture on it looks damn fine. Heck, you might not even have to do ANY work if you have a room with white walls in your house. Some friends of mine have white walls in their living room and when they want to use their LCD projector, they just move the furniture and there's their big screen. My advice is for you to haunt hardware stores until you are blue in the face or you can even surf the web for ideas. You have to be creative and resourceful because the screen you design will be specific for your environs only. But, if you can find a window shade fabric store that will sell you a white (NOT off-white, for obveous reasons) sheet for a reasonable price, go for it and figure out how to hang it later. The nice thing about shade fabric is that with gentle handling, it won't crease, it rolls up and stores neatly in your basement, and when it's in action it produces a great screen image besides. Good luck! |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 61 Registered: Dec-03 | Another thing... While net surfing, I came across sites selling inflatable movie screens for setup in outdoor backyards. They are expensive (over $1,000) and too large for any indoor home theater. But, I notice that some of their designs make use of heavy duty white tarp. You can try ordering yourself a custom sheet of that material. I don't know if white heavy duty tarp will work as well as the window shade fabric I use and I have no idea how you would hang it. Just offering another idea for your consideration! |
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Anonymous | Thanks Stephen, actually I am a bit of an inventor, after some reaserch and some experimentation, I have come up with a screen that works quite well even with some ambient light. Here it is for anyone else who is intrested. First I got a large peice of ply,about 2mm thick which I painted white with the flattest (non glossy) paint I could find. This gave fairly good results, the main problem being that the paint, alothough very flat, was still too reflective and glary. After some advice from a paint shop I discovered that undercoat is extremely non glossy. This was one hell of an improvement but I found that with a pure white screen the very light parts of the image especially white objects were too bright, washing out the finer details. More expirementing found that the addition of a very slight bit of black tint gives a very good screen. This might sound strange, but a slightly grey screen (it needs to be grey not off white) gives better pictures than a pure white, as the whites dont wash out. Ever heard of a silver screen? your eyes fool you the same as black looks black on a television screen, the closest a television can get to black is the grey colour you see when the television is turned off. Basicly what I am trying to say is that the contrast improves. Try this as it can be a very cheap expirement on a small screen, the white realy does look white! After I got the screen to work I simply bought some 25mm x 40mm timber moulding to make a frame for the ply. I also put a couple of braces made of the same material across the middle of the screen to stop it from bowing after time, as thin ply in big sheets tends to do this. All that remained was to screw a couple of large hooks into the ceiling battens in my lounge, a couple of screw eyes into the top of the screen frame, and a couple of bits of decorative chain in between. The overall size is 1.8m x 2.4m, with no joins in the middle, the undercoat was a sealer primer undercoat all in one, so it was pretty thick and filled the woodgrain in the ply. Presto, I have a screen which is lightweight, easy to put up and take down, looks fairly attractive, and shows a great picture. All for around $80, and without the experimentation, a days work. I hope this is usefull to someone. Please let me know if anyone has any problems with this screen and I will try to help them with it. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 62 Registered: Dec-03 | Anon - Glad things worked out! Like you, I'm all set with my screen, but - for those that need ideas - I wonder if there's a discussion board online where all the mad scientists can compare notes and help others struggling to come up with new designs? If not, there ought to be! |
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bigtabs Unregistered guest | This thread has saved me 20 dollars plus shipping plus being really pissed off at someone I couldn't get my hands near the neck of. Thanks Stephen and co. |
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Jack Houes Unregistered guest | Hey Stephen, I ordered the "kit" from max theater and after reading this page it kinda sucks that i spent my money on it. Is there anything i can do that wont cost me over $100 to make a good one, or turn this one into a good one? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 63 Registered: Dec-03 | Jack - I'm the wrong person to ask that question. I shelled out for an LCD projector that cost close to a thousand bucks. I've made the point before on this board that if a good big screen image could be gotten for $100 or less, we would ALL be spending $100 or less and big screen home theater manufacturers would go out of business. However, I won't be a total naysayer. Gadgit has posted some ideas that might be of interest to you. Scroll back through this board and read about his triplet lens plans. Bottom line is you need a strong light source, a way to project an image and a process to focus it. Frankly, I don't think you can do all that for a mere $100 or less. Maybe someone else on this board has ideas. Also, fresnel lens TV does produce an image of sorts. However, what you get from max theater can't hold a ghost of a candle to a good home theater system....or IMAX, for that matter. So, I'm not the final word on this, but in my opinion home theater is like anything else - you get the quality you pay (or put the sweat equity in) for. |
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Unregistered guest | HI! GREAT FORUM! I WHANT TO TRY TO BUILD THE FRESNEL PROJECTOR,FOR THE FIST TIME.I ALMOST FELT INTO ONE OF THOSE EBAY SCAMS,WHEN I GOT LINKED TO THIS FORUM.HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS: 1)I SAW THAT POSSIBLY THE IMAGE WILL FLIP,AND WILL BE NECESARY TO TURN THE TV SET UPSIDE DOWN,IS THIS SAFE???? 2)IT IS REAL THAT I CAN GET FESNEL LENS FROM OFFICE DEPOT? 3)WHERE CAN I BUY GOOD BUT CHEAP FRESNEL LENS? 4)IN OPTIMAL CONDITIONS[PITCH DARK ROOM]WILL THE IMAGE PROJECTED BE GOOD? 5)CAN ANYBODY WITH THIS KIND OF PROJECTOR SEND ME PICTURES,SO TO SEE THE COLORS,BRIGHTNESS AND RESOLUTION? 6)WHATS THE BEST SIZE OF TV TO USE WITH THIS PROJECTORS? 7)FOR EXAMPLE,USING A 14" SCREEN: -HOW FAR THOES IT HAS TO BE FROM THE WALL FOR OPTIMAL IMAGE? -HOW WIDE WILL THE PROJECTED IMAGE BE? 8)IT IS HONESTLY WORTH TO BUILD THIS KIT?NOT IN ECONOMICAL SENCE,BUT IN THE RESULTS...? TO HWOEVER ANSWERS ALLLLLLL THIS QUESTIONS,THANKYOU SO MUCH,AND SORY FOR SO MANY,BUT OF ALL THE FORUMS I KNOW,YOU GUYS ARE THE COOLEST AND ALL ANSWERS ARE CERTAIN AND INTELLIGENT,AS WELL AS THE LINKS USED.ETERNALLY GRATEFUL,THANKS FOR YOUR TIME! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! KUBRICK |
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Stanley Kubrick Unregistered guest | Kubrick, 1,NO!! Definatley not. 2,No. 3,Do an internet search. 4,If done right, possibly. 5,Depends on the resolution of the TV you are using. 6,TV.. bigger the better. LCD panels, get the higest resolution you can. 7,Pass! 8,Get the right tools, equipment and then take your time in building it.. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 64 Registered: Dec-03 | Kubrick (not Stanley) - You can go on the Office Depot, Office Max or Staples websites to order a Fresnel Lens. Or, just go around the corner to one of those office supply stores. I see them for sale all the time. Fresnel lenses are not hard to find. As for the rest of your questions, I would say experiment to get the best results as you would not be spending a mint to get materials. I guess some people can be satisfied with fresnel lens big screen, or that's all they can afford. Fine, but do not expect miracles. The fresnel lens picture is DEFINITELY inferior to LCD or plasma TV for reasons we discuss in length earlier on this board. As long as you don't get yor hopes up that your picture is going blow your socks off and as long as you spend a pitance in materials (including getting the plans for free), what the hell? Go for it. |
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kubrick Unregistered guest | guys,thanks so much for your answers,i know feel most of my "problems"about the project are clear.i will let you know the results,as my plan is to build a very nice projector.so thanks again and keep on the good mood of helping people!!!!!!!! again,very happy new year! k. |
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Unregistered guest | Hi all - While browsing the net, I accidentaly bumped across the maxtheater page. Great product , i thought. The site looked 'honest and clean' nuf, the photos great and refund guaranteed, so i was seriously considering ordering the thing. Having studied some optics at coll, i know that getting a sharp image outoff a $16 dollar kit is next to impossible, but hey, maybe someone had come up with some revolution design or something and besides, there's no mention of Fresnel lenses (or of having to turn yo tv upside down for that matter) on the site. Anyway, before entering the ordering details, I did a google search for the product's name, as i have the habit of doing. Hey presto, this site came up. Reading the first few posts was enough to confirm my suspision that the whole affair is a scam. So i put my credit-card back in the wallet and carried on reading through your site....(very informative i must say) The point for posting this ,,,are three actually : 1. I wish to thank every one of you who contributed to this thread for saving me the money which i would have undoubtly flushed down the drain by ordering this 'product', not to mention the frustration and anger you go through when you realize you've been consciously ripped off, something which you could have avoid just by being a tad wiser. 2. I urgue everyone who regularly shops on the net, to reaserch the product/company they're dealing with before parting with their money, especially if what's on offer seems too good to be true, probably it's neither. All it takes is a few sec - just type in the product/company name + SCAM in any search engine and if anyone had anything to say in that regard it will certainly come up. Granted - some complaints may be unjustified, but at least you can to make an informed judgment rather than shooting in the dark. 3. Finally, I encourage all those who, at some time or another fell for any of these scammer's tricks to make it known in an appropriate forum. Not only will you be doing a good deed by helping others learn from your mistake, but you will also be contributing towards the extermination of these parasites. I recall ordering stuff from mag-ads in the pre-internet days, only to get zero value for money. Back then, there was no way of knowing whether an offer was genuine or just some as*hole's go at making a quick buck at the expense of hard-working honest citz. Today the means exist with which to fight these fu*kers. So use it. Sorry for the longish post Peace to all & Best Wishes Jurgen - Malta |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 65 Registered: Dec-03 | JurgenBorg -- Well said! For years, scammers have been using every trick in the book to separate honest folk from their hard earned dollars. I remember as a kid reading a magazine ad for AMAZING X-RAY GLASSES THAT CAN SEE THROUGH ANYTHING! The titillation factor for the ad was a portrayal of a man with these glasses on looking through a solid wall at a scantily clad young woman in the next room. How many people sent in for those glasses and were too embarrassed to admit they got taken? How about all the other "get amazing results CHEAP" ads? "PLAY CONCERT PIANO IN ONLY SEVEN DAYS!" "LOSE WEIGHT WITH THESE PILLS WHILE BEING ABLE TO EAT AND DRINK ANYTHING YOU WANT!" The list goes on an on. That said, I admit to petitioning a scam site out of mere curiosity. But, I made a pledge that if what I got was crap, the whole world would know about it. Well, what I got WAS crap and I'm making good on my pledge by exposing this scam as well as posting the "secret plans" for all to see. If you scroll back early on in this board, there are no posts from those who have had honest experience with these kits. Just a lot of rambling generalities. That's why I got on this thing and have been riding it hard. Now post after post comes in: "Thanks! This board saved me money!" "Whew! They almost got me until I read this board!" "That was close! I put my credit card back in my wallet!" You make a great point about doing your research before you buy. Back when the AMAZING X-RAY GLASSES were advertised in that magazine, there was no resources to do research and get the facts. Now, with the internet, there is. If you still want to build this kit for the hell of it, build it for free. But, these plans simply aren't worth the money the scam sites charge for them, and the presentation on these sites is a pack of lies. They are making money off of uninformed consumers and that just stinks. |
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Anonymous | I wanna thank all the informed peeps on this site. I too was about to order the amazing maxtheater piece of crap but this site saved me the trouble |
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aicjofs Unregistered guest | I have seen the Lumenlabs stuff, and it is very nice but had some weakness with needing a fairly dark room and requires some decent skill to make it work, so I knew this MaxTheater stuff HAD to be a joke when I saw it, thanks to every person above who has confirmed this and possibly saved people money. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 66 Registered: Dec-03 | I'm with you about Lumenlab. I read their plans, which seemed sound enough, but I still reserved praise. At any rate, the Lumenlab plans are a heck of lot better than this business of duct taping a cardboard box to a tv set!! But, I agree that it seems you have to be somewhat skilled at carpentry/craftmaking to build a Lumenlab projector. You also have to spend more than a few dollars on parts. However, that the room has to be somewhat dark is good information. In my opinion, a good projector should put out a strong image even with the room lights on. But, that's just my opinion. |
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Luke23 Unregistered guest | max theater SUX big time! - crappy envelope with magnifiers.... wtf was i thinking??? - don't fall for that. |
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Anonymous | congrats to all here that keep entering post on how not to be fooled with big scams like max teather. thx for all the good advice. why on the maxtheater site tell don't tell you " we will send you a cool crappy envelope with a frensel lens and a funny color cd that shows our ultra mega top secret to make your tv room a cinema..."??? and please... with that guy face that looks like "Leo" from leathal Weapon 2 in the main page... pppff. |
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Alison Unregistered guest | Well thanks for saving me a whole lot of time and dissapointment. I will be doing a bit of research on the LCD or the triple lens job. I am not sure if the glass lenses are available or go by the same name here in UK. Thanks very much. Alison. |
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momadaboo Unregistered guest | Well out of the kits that there are. Which one is the best. I wouldn't mind trying one out. I'm not expecting much. I'd just like to try it out. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 67 Registered: Dec-03 | momadaboo, just scroll back through this thread and download the fresnel lens tv plans for free. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 68 Registered: Dec-03 | momadaboo, just scroll back through this thread and download the fresnel lens tv plans for free. |
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I_want_a_big_screen_tv Unregistered guest | Guys this is a great forum, keep up the great work. I got one of these projection kits from ebay last week. I know that the results will not be too exciting but I guess it's worth a shot anyways. I was looking for a solution to the flipped picture problem and the posts on this page really helped. Will post again after I complete assembling my projector. Wish me luck. |
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I_want_a_big_screen_tv Unregistered guest | Guys this is a great forum, keep up the great work. I got one of these projection kits from ebay last week. I know that the results will not be too exciting but I guess it's worth a shot anyways. I was looking for a solution to the flipped picture problem and the posts on this page really helped. Will post again after I complete assembling my projector. Wish me luck. |
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newscambuster Unregistered guest | You know what. I just found this posting AFTER i convinced my girlfriend let me get the MAXTHEATER SYSTEM. STEPEHN I WANT TO FIRST SAY THAT THIS FORUM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE OCTOBER 2004. I HAVE SEEN POST FROM YOU SINCE THE START. IF IT WASNT FOR YOU I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN EXTREMELY ENRAGED WHEN I GOT THE DAMN THING ASSEMBLED. YOU ARE RIGHT. AND ANY *SSHOLE WHO THINKS DIFFERENT SUCKS THANKS STEPEN FOR STICKING WITH THE FORUM. AFTER I GET MY CRAPPY FRESNEL LENSES. I WILL TRY IT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE SAYS THEY WILL BUT IM PISSED. I DEFINETELY WILL COME BACK TO THE FORUM AND LET EVERYONE KNOW "EXACTLY" HOW IT GOOD/BAD IT WORKED AND IF I FOUND ANY ALTERNATIVES. AND YES I WILL LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES BECAUSE I HATE GETTING RIPPED OFF AND I PROBABLY WILL BE SO FRUSTRATED THAT I WILL TAKE OUT A PAYDAY LOAN JUST TO GET SOME KIND OF PICTURE TO WORK IF THIS DOESNT. I WOULDNT MIND THE FACT THAT IT WOULD NOT WORK TILL NIGHTIME BUT IF IT DOESNT WORK AT ALL THEN BigBear and Yidal can kiss grits. |
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Unregistered guest | Hello all, Its ashame that there are so many websites that are a scam regarding the fact that the result is not as they say it will be. However, after reading all of the above posts i've ordered a fresnel lense from ebay so i can try it myself for the solley purpose that it is fun to build and its going to be nice to see a lightshow on the wall... he he... can't wait. I do realise that the quality is not even near to decent but i'm interested more in the process and not the actual restult itself. Although i am thinking in investing in building a LCD projector like the one from Lumena Lab or Tom's hardware guide. It is great that this forum exists to make people aware of the scam, but this shouldn't drive away people from fresnel lenses... just don't buy them from scam sites... and don't pay much money cause they are simple things... I bought mine for the price of a coffee. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 69 Registered: Dec-03 | OK, I'm confused. Ethan Storm, help me understand. I don't mean to get petty and debate this but I could agree with your points if you had ordered from eBay BEFORE reading this thread. However, though you have every right to do so (it's your money!), why would you order from eBay AFTER you read this thread? What's the point of knowingly participating in this scam even though you know it's a scam? Especially when you can get the same thing for free and instantly besides? Your logic doesn't add up. You say you bought your cardboard TV plans for "the price of a coffee". You must drink some damn expensive coffee! These fresnel TV plans are selling for around $16 to $19 or so. Some dealers are selling them for up to $30. And I don't get your point about "it's going to be fun project hee hee". Why not have it be "fun hee hee" for free? Do you like just giving your money away? And how can you not be interested in the result? Especially when you are looking forward to a light show on your ceiling or plan on building a higher quality projector from LumenLab? Then later in your post you say you agree that fresnel lens TV sites are a scam, then you say that this board shouldn't drive people away from the fresnel lens. But, if you read this board, you know that nobody is trying to drive people away from fresnel lens TV. I wish I had a dollar for everytime I posted "Build it if you want to, but at least build it for free and don't get scammed". And even you... if you still want to knowingly fund this fresnel lens TV scam, what can anybody say? But, if post here implying that it's somehow OK to do so, you've earned the right to get respectfully called on it. So, what I don't understand is why it's better to click into this forum, read the opinions, see where you can download these "secret plans" for nothing, find out where you can buy your own fresnel lens and then still choose to send your good money to a scam dealer on eBay. Nothing personal and I hope I'm not being harsh, but -- like I said - I'm just kinda confused by your post. |
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Ethan Storm Unregistered guest | Hi again, my bad. I didn't explain myself properly... I bought the actual lens from ebay, not the plans. Those i have them already for free thanx to forums like yours. I don't know any shop near me where i can buy a fresnel lens so ebay is the most easiest thing for me. I bought the lense after reading this thread just because i got excited about projectors and the optical effect that its involved, not the "make a projector out of your tv" thing. Well if you put it that way then yes, I care indeed about the results but i am not going to get dissapointed because i know what to expect. About the "shouldn't drive people away" part. After reading forums i was left with the impression that fresnel lenses are evil and useless. I just want to point out that they work and fulfill their purposes in all sorts of optical devices. Making a projector out of a tv using ONLY a fresnel lense is NOT one of them. The problem is not the lens but the lack of brightness. Just wanted to point that out because maybe somebody was confused about WHY the whole thing doesn't work properly. Although, even if the brigthness would be greater the image would still be blury because fresnel lenses are more like "light gathering lenses" and not projection lenses. As I said i bought only the lens itself. I live in London and coffee at a local pub is around 3 pounds (5 US dollars). I paid 2.5 pounds for the lense. Sorry for any missunderstandings |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 70 Registered: Dec-03 | No need to apologize. I wasn't scolding... Just confused, was all. I asked you to clear up your points and you did. So, best of luck with your DIY home theater projects. |
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New member Username: ChillyfreezeSomewhere, Ohio Usa Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-05 | Why don't everyone just freaking get a god damn life who fu*king cares if someone is scamming you if you are dumb azz to fall for the dumb sh*t out there. 1. if it was able to be done that easy as maxtheater.com says then it would be alot more than fu*king 19.99 2. Go out buy a real fu*king projector and spend the cash on something that will work. 3. Welcome to our fu*king earth the world has good people like stephen and has fu*king idiots like the people that would buy something from a site like maxtheater.com and people like maxtheater.com that know there are dumb azzes that will fall for it. So get a fu*king life and going for cheap sh*t and spend your hard earned money on something good. |
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rtyer Unregistered guest | I'm a bit confused about what this site maxtheater.com is actually selling. They say its some next up kit. Now from reading the msgs on this site...is the kit juss a stupid lens? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 71 Registered: Dec-03 | >>is the kit juss a stupid lens?<< Yup. |
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rtyer Unregistered guest | wow......i was wondering why they did not show the product. Damn...,these guys are pretty good at lying and selling their product. I thank this forum greatly as my eyes are now open to all these damm fake sites. Thx |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 72 Registered: Dec-03 | Scroll back through this thread and you can get a look at their "secret plans". Even if you don't build the fresnel lens TV set, you can see why these sites want to keep these dumb plans secret. The bottom line is buyer beware. Before you hand over your money do your research. These internet boards are great for getting opinions about product quality. Like Chris Hanes says don't be a "dumb azz" and fall for "dumb sh*t". If you want to build the kit just for fun, fine, but why hand over money to a scammer when you can do the same thing on your own? That is the only point I'm making on this board. |
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smaas Unregistered guest | I just want to thank everyone, especially Stephen Holmes, for their advice on staying away from the Max Theater scam! It sounded too good to be true. And to Mad Ged for posting the Max Theater Better Business Bureau report in his Dec 17th message! I got a lot of great ideas, i.e.. the lcd overhead projector idea. Thanks Again! |
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New member Username: ChillyfreezeSomewhere, Ohio Usa Post Number: 2 Registered: Feb-05 | Heres a panasonic PT-L500U the best money you could ever spend. http://catalog2.panasonic.com I have one and it's great as hell. Just watch out for scams there out there for everything you want to buy. Listen to stephen he knows what he's talking about. I know you people ain't that dumb so don't f*cking act like it by paying for these dumb f*cks dinners. Thanx again Stephen chillyfreeze101@aol.com |
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Some kid who doesnt want to be scammed. Unregistered guest | Hello all, and especially Stephen Holmes who seems to be running this glorious operation. From what I'm reading, the Max theater projection screen sucks serious (sensored for your protection). Is the image quality really that trashy, or is it just dim and hard to see? Oh, and another thing. For these kits: manufactured and home made: Does making the image smaller increase the image quality? Thank you guys so much. I was about to buy one so this really helps. Thank you all. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 73 Registered: Dec-03 | Some Kid - I wouldn't say I'm exactly running this forum. Just trying to pass along some information. But, to answer your question, if you scroll back through this thread you can actually download the Max Theater-type plans. Then you can buy a fresnel lens for a couple of bucks and build the contraption yourself for free. Yes, the image is really trashy because it depends on a television as the image source. Televisions are not designed to project an image. So, all the fresnel lens does is pull the ambient light & image from the TV and try to project it on the wall as best it can. Bottom line is you DO get a sorta kinda image, but its realy dim and fuzzy around the edges. I don't know if making the image smaller would help, but if you are content with a small image I would say just watch your TV and forget about big screen projection. As diferent members have discussed on this board, there are other ways to realize DIY big screen projection, but you are going to have to lay a few $$$ on the table. What you will get from MaxTheater is an screen image that looks like its worth only a measly 9 dollars. If you are content with that, what can anyone say? Once again, this is not to say don't build the kit out of curiosity or just for fun. Just don't get scammed by the false promises of these web sites, as the uninformed consumer would. So, even if for some reason you elect not to get the plans from this board and to give a site like Max Theater your money, you are doing it with both eyes open. But the bottom line is either way, the end result of fresnel lens projection TV is not all that great shakes. |
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DesiKnightz Unregistered guest | LISTEN GUYS! I READ MOST OF THE POSTING ON THIS BOARD! THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION THAT TELLS ME THIS TV PROJECTION THING IS NOT SO EFFECTIVE. IN THEORY, THIS PROJECTION SHOULD AND WILL WORK. HOWEVER IT WILL REDUCE THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT TRANSMITTED BY THE TV DEPENDING ON HOW LARGE OF A PICTURE YOU WANT ON YOU SCREEN! PERFECT DARKNESS IN A ROOM WOULD HELP IN VISIBILITY! PLEASE DONT PAY 20$ OR 15$ OR EVEN 10$ FOR SCAMMERS HOW WANTS NOTHING OUT OF YOU BUT YOUR MONEY! GO ON EBAY AND SEARCH FOR FRENSEL LENS AND BUY ONE FOR YOURSELF I GOT MINE FOR 5 BUCKS INCLUDING SHIPPING! DONT PAY MORE THAN 8$. ITS GOOD TO HAVE A FRENSEL LENS! LIGHT A BUG ON FIRE OUT ON YOUR YARD OR SOMETHING! BUT IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO TEST THIS TV PROJECTION MAGIC... ITS REALY EASY! ALL YOU NEED IS SOME CARDBOARD BOX, TAPE, PENCIL, AND A KNIFE. DO IT FOR FREE RATHER THAN BUYING IT AND BEING SORRY ABOUT IT! CLICK OR COPY/PASTE THE LINK BELOW TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT PLANS TO TEST A FRESNEL LENS... |
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McCaleb Unregistered guest | Hey Stephen, just wanted to say thanks for all the honesty & good info. Just got on here today after seeing the maxtheater websight and just felt like it was weird. After all, nothing that really works that good, is that cheap. Oh and I have to say, Man you are so funny, some of your cmmts had me laughing so hard I could barely read them to my wife. Plus you managed to stay respectful doing so. Thanks again for the advise and the laugh. |
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lurker Unregistered guest | Just had to post and say thank you Stephen Holmes and others for opening up my eyes-I discovered this "scam" in another forum where people are very excited by the prospect of cheap large screen TV-Kudos to you all for opening our eyes. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 74 Registered: Dec-03 | I sure appreciate all the kudos! I guess my detractors like Big Bear, Yidal, ChocolateButterfly and 100 Inch Legend are hereby outvoted. Interesting that members on another forum are actually excited about fresnel lens TV. I would think that the moment you receive your "kit" in the mail and see what crapola it is, how can you do anything but look at it in disbelief and whisper a wholeheared but honestly felt "sonofab**ch!!" And to Some Kid Who Doesn't Want To Be Scammed...DesiKnightz above spells it all out and even gives you the link to the "secret plans". I'm really not sure why some people on this board want to argue about this. To them I say: HERE ARE THE MAX THEATER PLANS RIGHT HERE ON THIS BOARD! GET THEM FOR FREE! INSTANTLY! WHY PAY TO WAIT WEEKS FOR THE SAME THING?? THEN GO BUY YOUR OWN FRESNEL LENS! I MEAN.....D-UH???! So, go for it if you want to build the durn thing and even if it sucks what have you lost but a few dollars, some cardboard and maybe two or three hours of your life that you'll never get back. Personally, I don't think it's worth the bother, but if you must build it than do it on the cheap. You may even end up sorta kinda liking it for what it is, but then don't be like Big Bear, et al, and imply that it's somehow better to get ripped off by scam sites in order to get it. |
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Some kid who WILL NOT be scammed Unregistered guest | thanks for all the advice. oh, just one more question. is it even worth it to build it, or would it be better to use my own tv? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 75 Registered: Dec-03 | Kid - if it's your only option because you don't have the money to afford to build or buy a better system, then what the hell? Build it and judge for yourself. Like I said, in the end all you will lose is some time. However, if you can afford an LCD projector (AND the cost of its replacement bulbs), then definitely go that route. Mine throws out a picture that I am proud to show my friends. Replacement bulbs for a good LCD projector can run upwards to $300. But, I've had my projector for over a year and haven't had to put in a second bulb yet. The internet is right at your fingertips so do your online research and in the end you be the judge. You might choose to build yourself a really good overhead platten DIY system (plans of which are also on this board). You can do that at a reasonable cost, from what I can see. You might end up spending around $700 or so by the time you buy the overhead projector, LCD platen (or dismantle a computer LCD monitor). However, my LCD projector cost me $900 and it kicks butt. So, the question is - do you build a Frankenstien Monster home theater for about $700 or throw in a few hundred more to just open a shipper's box to get rockin' and rollin'? I, personally, chose the latter, but that may not be you. You may choose to build the high-end DIY system because you don't want to worry about replacing pricey bulbs. So, it's a personal choice. Also, prices on LCD projectors are dropping like a rock. I see them at office supply stores and consumer electronic stores now at decent prices. And what happens to the older models when consumers want to upgrade? A friend of mine even got a good refurbished LCD projector for $600 - and it puts out a damn good picture. Maybe you can bid for good older or used/rebuild projector on eBay (make sure you can still get replacement bulbs within your price range and check the specs to make sure you get some strong lumens!). So, there's a lot to consider. But, to answer your question, whether it's worth it to build the fresnel lens system...I would say if it doesn't cost you much of anything, and you're motivated to invest the time, it's always worth it for s**ts and giggles. Maybe the fresnel lens system can tide you over if money is tight or you are waiting for the LCD projector prices to drop. But, again, don't get your hopes up that you are going to get a blazing sharp, colorful picture from this kit. That's my main complaint about what the scam sites claim. |
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Unregistered guest | Great thread. I ran accross the "150in TV" offer and contemplated buying. I did some homework before ordering and am glad I did. More kudos to Stephen, Gadgit and the rest of you fighting the good fight. Thank. |
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XteticX Unregistered guest | Wow, am I ever glad I stubled across this thread. I too was gonna fall for that MaxTheater sh*t. I was gonna order 3 of them on top of that. lol . First thing that made me suspicious is that I've been on the site 4-5 times to investigate the product, and kept seing this : "Order by midnight February 23, 2005 & we will guarantee the low price of $16.95." (note that the date changes to the current one only to haste the purchase). Second thing is obviously the fact that they do not show a single graph or picture of the product! If I would've bougth this thing and been told to use cardboard I probebly would've ended up KILLING someone.hehe. Therefor, I'm truly greatfull for all the info I've lurned on projectors all around. Great thread, keep'em comming! |
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Anonymous | Hi i saw an ad for the projection tv an thought it was,in theory a good idea but the one thing that stood to my attention straight away was (not enough light to cast an image). As a bit of an inventor,im going to get a cheap fresnel lens/or a good Triplet lens from office supplyer and experiment anyway.Using a 2inch lcd tv n some cardboard etc, hoping to make a 12volt projector stricktly for in a rucksack for camping,using the inner dome tent as a screen.Good idea eh in THEORY!!. The next plan of action will be making a home lcd over head projection system when I have more materials at hand. Thanks to this thread by Stephen and some usefull info from Gadget n others I have not made the mistake of buying SCAM TRAP CRAP as so many have fallen for. Ill keep in touch on my progress with the mini projector, an look forward to reading any other productive ideas. Thanks again. |
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Unregistered guest | Can I just say i was nearly fooled by this max-theatre thing and after looking at the pics on the site 1 last time before buying i noticed a real projector at the bottom left of the photo lol. They cant even take a photo that wont reveal their scam. lol we cud all buy a 1000 projector!!!! andy email me back at if you agree its a projector |
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Anonymous | Hey guys, I just stumbled across this. I've been trying to project a SMALL image onto a drawing desk. I have this cheap opaque projector, and if I ram it against a monitor, crank up the monitors brightness, and turn off the lights, I get a very sharp but dim image on the paper (the adjustable lens helps here I'm sure). But the projected portion is only 4 inches of the screen. Now I'm wondering, is there a way to pull the entire monitor image into the 4-inch porthole of the opaque projector? Would a fresnel be able to do this? My aim is to project the screen image at it's actual physical size, or smaller, for tracing of computer-generated images for art projects. The idea is to have it on a platform above the desk, and be able to operate the computer with the projection. It certainly works with just the monitor and opaque projector, but I need the full screen to really make this practical. I'm am NOT trying to watch movies on a big screen or anything. |
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Anonymous | Oh yeah, has anyone tried projecting a SMALL image at close range (a few feet at the most)using just the fresnel? |
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Anonymous | Oh yeah, has anyone tried projecting a SMALL image at close range (a few feet at the most)using just the fresnel? |
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Craig UK Unregistered guest | Hi ive just made a TV PROJECTOR and its amazingly CRAP. And before u ask did i buy it from a scam site ? the answer is NO. I did get somekind of picture but nothing worth watching. I used a 21inch nicam tv,cardboard etc,cut at 40cm by50cm covering the tv case aswell,as the screen is rounded in the corners. Making the boxlength 2ft I didnt get any picture whatsoever,just a blur of colour. I held a peice of white board infront of it and moved it back an forth,with no result but a picture HALF the size of my TV,I decided to chop down the length of the box to 18inch. With the same process as above (moving board)I saw I was getting closer as the image started to tighten up,but still would not focus. So once again got my stanleyknife and hacked the box down to 16inch.My results were alot better as I moved the board about I could see a human head staring at me. But as the bed sheet that I had earlier hung over the curtain rail (wishfull thinking) was to far for the so called projector to focus in on,or cast the required light,I decided to bring in a 7ft by 5ft sheet of polistierene I had just lying about. Moving it to the best place,WOW I could see a picture,(with squinted eyes). When my son comes an sees his new tv screen he will be astonished by it (as he is only 2 years old). The only thing was,the best watchable picture I got,(if ude just dropped an acid) was about 4ft by 3ft which I thought was ok'ish until I realized it was only 3ft from the lens. As I cant move the tv and the screen is halfway across my bed it maybe somewhat impractical dont u think!! ANYHOO at least ive had a bash and know now what these"AMAZING" contraptions can/cant do,but had fun trying anyway. Hope ive not board u all to death and will look forward to reading other peoples storys. (srry about the spelling mistakes). Now look at all this mess ive gotta tidy up. As for the guy with the Opaque projector why not print the image smaller (4inches) onto paper then project it,u should get a much better image to copy. After all thats what their designed for. |
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Craig UK Unregistered guest | As I was writing this article my girlfriend just came in and despite the MESS alover the place wondered WHAT THE HELL IS A BIG CARDBOARD BOX DOING STUCK ON THE FRONT OF HER TV, as she watches the damn thing more than anyone I know.I showed her what this peice of technology could do and thought she would be impressed,she just shook her head and walked away gasping. So theres ur answer to anybody who was thinking of making one of these things. CRAPPY!! Im just gunna haveto save up and buy a real one I think. |
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Anonymous | Hi Craig, I'm the guy with the opaque projector. Printing out a 4-inch version is what i've been doing, but it's cumbersome and wasteful for several reasons. One is that I need to operate my rendering software in real time to fit with the images on paper. Also, my custom software doesn't "render out" in outline mode, so I have to take screenshots. It's also pretty expensive printing out so much stuff, since I have to use trial and error, printing, comparing, then adjusting, then printing again until it matches. It sounds like you were able to get an ok small image, how sharp was the picture when it was SMALLER than your TV? |
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the kid Unregistered guest | I posted this before and i'm not too sure what happened to it. Is the maxtheater lens like the same quality as the fresnel home made kits? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 76 Registered: Dec-03 | Kid - There's no difference. Let's be clear once and for all what you get from MaxTheater: 1.) A xeroxed copy of the same "plans" that have been floating around the internet for years; and 2.) A fresnel lens of which you can buy on your own. That's it! That's the Big Secret that home theater sellers "don't want you to know". |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 77 Registered: Dec-03 | Also, Craig UK's personal experience tells it like it is. It would be interesting to know what the likes of BigBear, 100 Inch Legend and ChocolateButterfly have to say in response. |
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Kurt from Kalamazoo Unregistered guest | Names Kurt and I want to thank everyone as well. I also had my credit card out to buy the Kit but for some reason, the card would not go through. So I moved on and surfed around and found this site. After reading, I put the card away. At lunch, I used the same card to pre-order a PSP bundle and behold it worked fine! Whew! Thanks again for the info. I am now surfing for a LCD projector. But just out of curiosity Stephen, What brand projector did you get and what is the model #? L8R Kurt Kalamazoo, MI. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 78 Registered: Dec-03 | Kurt - I am the proud owner of a Sharp NoteVision PG-A10X. I paid on the high end of 800+ dollars for it and my sceen image is up to 12-1/2 feet wide (I know because I had to make the screen). As you'll find when you look up the specs, replacement bulbs can run upwards to $400. So, that has to definitely be taken into account when you buy. However, we don't run the projector every other night. Frankly, I'm more than happy with what I got! |
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MR.PHSYCOMANIAC Unregistered guest | hey thanks, after reading this i realized what a bid scam it was...and this is to Stephen Holmes: I READ THE DATE ON YOUR FIRST POST AND IT SAID SEPTEMBER 12TH,2004....AND YOUR LATEST IS MARCH 7TH 2005...THATS ABOUT 6 MONTHS OR HALF-A-YEAR THAT YOU'VE BEEN POSTING ON THIS SITE...GET A LIFE BUDDY |
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MR.PHSYCOMANIAC Unregistered guest | HEY STEPHEN HOLMES......I HAVE A SONY LCD-VIDEO PROJECTOR VPL-VW11HT.....WHICH ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO, COST UPWARDS OF 10 000 DOLLARS...SO IF YOU THINK 800+ IS HIGH END....I LAUGH AT YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC LIFE |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 79 Registered: Dec-03 | Ahhhh, another one of my faithful detractors check in who doesn't seem to have a life him or herself except to scrutinize me and my posts. Actually, I would be flattered, except what puzzles me is...why the hate? Why should anybody care if I've been posting on this board for the last 20 years? It's my right, ain't it? Can't one simply scroll right by my posts if they are irksome to read and leave it at that? Do we have message board police now? Sheesh! For every Mr.Phsycomaniac there are a dozen members posting positive feedback for my input. So, the Mr.Phsycomaniacs, Big Bears and ChocolateButterflys can go ahead and laugh. Though, how somebody knows a person on an internet board that they never met has a "pathetic life", i can't figure. Them's MIGHTY POWERFUL mind-readin' skills! But, I digress. Anyway, takin' the high road, I'm glad I at least had a hand in helping someone realize "what a bid [sic] scam it was". But, though I am Stephen Holmes, not Sherlock Holmes, I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Psyche is actually one of my haters who goes by the handle of Yidal. (Scroll up and check out the lingo and style of his Dec 3rd post above - even to the typing in all caps). I could be wrong, but what can one say when he has such a pathetic life as mine? So, in kind, all I can say in response to the above posts is "FIND THE WORDS MR.PSYCHOMANIC! FIND THE WORDS TO SAVE YOUR GREAT NATION!" ha ha! |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 80 Registered: Dec-03 | BTW, one reason I post twice as much as I "should" on this board is that I constantly have to correct myself from being missunderstood. I wasn't crying about the $800+ price of my LCD projector. In fact, I love the price! By contrast, Mr. Psyche's SONY LCD-VIDEO PROJECTOR VPL-VW11HT clocks in at over $7,000. So, I can now understand where he may have thought I was b**tching. Comparing the specs, I'm not sure what the advantage is for the Sony. My Sharp has 13000 ANSI lumens while the Sony kicks out 1000 ANSI lumens. I'm not sure what the extra $6,000 or so nets Mr. Psyche, but personally I would advise not spending more than $1,000 for a good LCD projector (or just a tip over $1,000 if you can't help it). But, that's just me. Obveously, Mr.Psychomanic has a different view and we sure don't need each other's approval to enjoy our respective projectors at whatever price. To him I say - Yidal or no - more power to both of us. |
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TheOnlyRick Unregistered guest | Stephen, You're right about ignoring your detractors - keep up the good work! When I move to a bigger place (in the next half-year or so) I'm thinking I might give this projector TV a go. It looks like I can pick up a fresnel lens for a few quid, and simply by holding in front of a TV in a darkened room, I can get *some* idea of whether it would ever work. Cheers, Richard |
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Unregistered guest | WITH REGARDS 2 MAXTHEATER.COM ......I ORDERED THE INFAMOUS "LENSES" AND SENT THE 30 USD (INCL DELIVERY CHARGES) AS A BANK DRAFT TO MAXTHEATER AT THEIR P.O.BOX 30220,SPOKANE,WA 99223. THEY RECEIVED IT ON 04 FEB 2005 ....BUT ONLY PRESENTED THE CHQ 4 PMT INTO THEIR ACCOUNT ON 07 MAR 2005............. AT THE PRESENT TIME ...IT SEEMS THAT I AM "KICKED OFF" THE WEBSITE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCESS IT. IS THIS POSSIBLE? I HAVE A FUNNY FEELING THAT I AM NOT GOING TO RECEIVE ANYTHING 4 MY MONEY ......... AM I BEING "PARANOID" OR WHAT ! HAS ANYONE KNOW MAXTHEATER.COM s EMAIL ADDRESS? THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP ON THIS MATTER. |
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Unregistered guest | WITH REGARDS 2 MAXTHEATER.COM ......I ORDERED THE INFAMOUS "LENSES" AND SENT THE 30 USD (INCL DELIVERY CHARGES) AS A BANK DRAFT TO MAXTHEATER AT THEIR P.O.BOX 30220,SPOKANE,WA 99223. THEY RECEIVED IT ON 04 FEB 2005 ....BUT ONLY PRESENTED THE CHQ 4 PMT INTO THEIR ACCOUNT ON 07 MAR 2005............. AT THE PRESENT TIME ...IT SEEMS THAT I AM "KICKED OFF" THE WEBSITE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCESS IT. IS THIS POSSIBLE? I HAVE A FUNNY FEELING THAT I AM NOT GOING TO RECEIVE ANYTHING 4 MY MONEY ......... AM I BEING "PARANOID" OR WHAT ! DOES ANYONE KNOW MAXTHEATER.COM s EMAIL ADDRESS? THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP ON THIS MATTER. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 81 Registered: Dec-03 | The MaxTheater site seems to have gone AWOL. Not sure what that is about. Wonder if they've pulled up stakes and given up the business? Secondly, I am getting a few personal e-mails from people asking me to please help them get refunds for fresnel lens kits that they want to return. It should be made clear that many of the scam sites on the internet are kicking customers to the curb after taking the money. THIS IS A RISK YOU ARE TAKING! So, buyer beware! Maybe someone else can post a method to insure that promised refunds are forthcoming. I had to threaten to post a highly negative ebay review of the seller in order to shake my money loose. As far as the e-mails that I'm getting, I should go on record to say that I am not some kind of scam site ombudsman. I am not able to ride in with guns blazing to get people their promised refunds. In fact, if you scroll back through these posts, you'll read my own account where I had to go through hell to get my OWN refund from an irate seller. I got so ticked off that I vowed to make it my business to get the word out so others won't have to go through what happened to me. As it appears, I (and others on this board) have had success. That makes me feel pretty good. I'd feel better if I could wrestle customer refunds back from these various scam sites, but - sorry, folks - I talk like more of a big shot than I actually am. The most I can do is try to educate the uninformed so they don't get caught up in the same situation. |
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anony-mouse! Unregistered guest | try to go to www.maxtheater.com. wow. |
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anony-mouse 2! Unregistered guest | I like new pages! They are yummy. |
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anony-mouse 2! Unregistered guest | I like new pages! They are yummy. |
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Gary Charles Unregistered guest | I too was taken in by Max Theater's lies.I could communicate with them.Visit their web site prior to receiving the product,and just after i received it.i immeaditley had the fealing i had been scamed.so i jumped through all their hoops.(permission to return slip, and all the questions when bought? original ticket number and on and on) it cost me a dollar and change to mail first class what they charged me 8.50 shipping for.not to mention the 16.95 for two pecies of plastic (the lenses)and a cd.so when i try to contact them to see what's holding up my refund. all i get are blank pages when i try to pull up their web site. so if this info can help some other potential sucker like myself from getting scamed then im more than glad to post my experiences. thank you Stephen for youur dilligence in exposing these frauds. |
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StephenHolmesHater Unregistered guest | do you ever shutup man youve been posting for 3 years now.. you cant possibly care about other people and this ridiculous scam to spend so much of your time posting for multiple years |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 82 Registered: Dec-03 | Nope, I do not ever shut up. In fact, I'm just getting warmed up. But, thanks for caring enough to read for all these multiple years. That said, why not invest your "hate" towards something like irradiating worldly injustices instead of misfiring at faceless yokels that you will never know on the internet? :-) |
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Pissed off engineer Unregistered guest | Haha... You know hater, you don't have to be a care bear to want to post against this kind of thing. Seems like evey time I have time to waste I come across something like this, and I feel compelled to comment just to put my venting of rage to use in neutralizing stupidity or just spreading knowledge in general. While it feels good to help people, it doesnt mean that you're on a crusade to save the world, or that you desperately need to save people from impending doom. The fresnel lense thing is really cool. Not worth anything but a buisness supply store's price, (in other words dont fall for the scams) but im sure it would be a fun experiment. Don't get me wrong, I HATE seeing online scams like this. It makes me want to break things on the stupid people somehow gifted with the mild cleverness to come up with this sh*t. If youre going to spend the time at something, I suggest researching projectors and making a smart bid on eBay. I just got an LCD projector for 180$ and its well worth it, even as my dinners get progressively simpler (Im a student). All you have to do is be stubborn and have 100s of items on the watch list. And for people like Stephen... GOOD JOB!!! I hope youre here for many years to come! |
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Pissed off engineer Unregistered guest | HAhahah.... the site "TheOnlyRick" posted is hilarious.... "plasma light technology" eh? hmmm where have i seen a plasma light before.. wait.. the neon signs on fast food stores? If youre convinced, you know you can buy a "plasma light" shaped like a mar*juana leaf from some of those retarded novelty shops for 15$... And it would still be a rip-off! You can even use it at home!!! HAHahahaAHaaaa... |
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Pissed off engineer Unregistered guest | Im sorry for the triple posts, but im afraid I have point out the saddening fact that their "live chat" support is unavailable... aww.. I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow.. hhaha... They even spelled "waste" wrong!! |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 83 Registered: Dec-03 | Pissed Off Engineer... You'd better be careful about posting so much. The self-appointed Message Board Police sorta kinda look down on that sort of thing! |
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Self appointed message board police Unregistered guest | *THIS IS THE SELF APPOINTED MESSAGE BOARD POLICE* Message to: Pissed off engineer...... We sorta kinda look down on so many posts by one postee in such quick sucsession. Please do not do it again. You have been warned. Message ends......... |
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StephenHolmesIsTheMan Unregistered guest | Hater, lay off Stephen Holmes! He saved a lot of people that read this board some money, me included! It's easy to sit around b**tching about how much somebody posts. But what good are you doing? If you prefer to get scammed don't get all pissed off at somebody else. Just go ahead and throw your money away like some stupid a**hole and leave it at that! I'm glad there is is a board that blows the lid off this scam! So who cares what you think when it comes down to a matter of being able to save their money? |
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stephenholmeshater Unregistered guest | dude i didnt invest in this piece of shi nor did i ever even think about it, i simply buy a good real deal tv. if you honestly throw your money to these people without researching the net first then you must be an idiot or the amoutn of money is so small it truly doesnt matter except to homeless people. this isnt the only place that "blows the lid off this scam" things like this need to be said once not 400 times over the course of 5 years. you can find sites that tell you about this being a scam in numerous places. i just cant believe that this dude has hung around this long stating the same nonsense over and over again. hes not a leader of a crusade, like i said i can easily find this information or just use whats known as "common sense" to know that this idea is not equivalent to a real tv of the same size. i mean honestly if i knew this guy in real life and he were a friend of mine id promptly slap his dumb a$$ in the face and tell him to stfu |
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rocky$4 Unregistered guest | SHOLMESHATER OR SHOULD I SAY "DUDE" GO FIND SOME OTHER HOUSE TO HAUNT WHO CARES WHAT YOU THINK? frickin moron! |
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StephenHolmesIsTheMan Unregistered guest | he never said he is "leader of the crusade" and he keeps telling people to have common sence and get it for free. read back and you'll see that a lot of people thank him for saving them money. he saved me money as well so my hat is off to him. who are you you to say how much somebody should "hang around"? who diedd and made you the boss? if stephenholmes wants to "hang around" for the next 500 years, so what? you are the one who nees to be slapped and to get a life instead of spending so much time hating. as far as I can see you are doing no good except to criticize and hate. go figure... |
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eCoustics.com ADMIN Unregistered guest | When did this post turn into "Post here to belittle and abuse home cinema enthusiasts"? There is alot of good advice here from a number of registered users and unregistered guests. There is also alot of one off posts from people how just wish to comment on the ORIGINAL subject. If anyone has a problem with anything posted here, please DO NOT use that as an excuse to PERSONALLY ATTACK any member of this site. There are no doubt sites which are specifically setup for this kind of abuse. If you do not agree with something someone has said, please remember that everone has a RIGHT OF EXPRESSION of their owns thoughts, but that people SHOULD NOT be subject to abuse on a personal level. YOU DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO VERBALLY ABUSE PEOPLE, EITHER IN PERSON, OR THROUGH THIS MESSAGE BOARD. Please stick to the original question.. "100 inch projection TV for $9.99? Should I or Shouldn't I?" Thankyou. |
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rocky$4 Unregistered guest | I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!!! ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T WANT TO STICK TO THE ORIGINAL SUBJECT AND WANTS TO GET PERSONAL SHOULD NOT BOTHER TO POST HERE!!! WELL SAID!!!! THIS BOARD IS GOOD INFORMATIVE READING. LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY!!! |
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UK Guy Unregistered guest | Stephen Holmes, u seem like the guy to speak to! All it is, is its my 21st soon and im throwing a bit of a party. It also happens to fall on the FA Cup Final day (yes im from UK) and i really want to get a big screen to watch it on at the party. Im not gonna waste a fortune on a decent big screen TV so ive ordered a fresnel lense to try out (2 quid for gods sake, hardly a waste if it dont work!). And all i wanted to know, is will it be suitable to watch the football match at a reasonable quality? Im not looking for movie theatre quality here, so is this the right thing for me to do? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 84 Registered: Dec-03 | First, re: the previous "exchanges" between Hater I don't know what to say. You look at other message boards on this Ecoustics.com space and you don't get exchanges like this. Frankly, I am amazed, somewhat flattered by the "attention" (I guess), but disapointed that members need to stoop to namecalling. If we're talking politics, relgion or the Great Pumpkin, I can see getting passionate. But, home theater? And over who has a right to post and for how long? Really, who cares THAT much? Maybe those that do need to start an "We Hate Stephen Holmes" message board and vent their spleen there. I humbly thank those who offer support and I agree with Econ ADMIN - these boards are to opine on particular topics whether you submit one post or 10,000. But, folks... you don't have to like me and frankly I don't really care since I will never meet any of you. However, my suggestion is if you don't, just don't read my posts. When you see my name, simply hit the scroll down key and I promise that the world will continue to turn. Promise! Now, to UK. No, the fresnel lens kit will not give you a home theater adequate for a party. I will agree with Hater that this "kit" is a pile of s**t. But, you already paid for it, so my suggestion is build it and see for yourself. Some people have built and are satisfied with the kit for what it is. Fine. Once again (sorry Hater), my point has always been just don't get scammed by one of these trickster internet sites. I have never say one way or the other whether to buy a fresnel kit or construct one for free. That's up to you. HOWEVER, since you don't want to spend a lot of money and you want pretty good results, you might want to take a look at the link below. Some parts of these plans seem a tad tricky, but for about $300 you may end up with a pretty strong home theater projector that you can use to entertain family and friends. Since you're considering building stuff you may as well build something that's going to give you some good results. Good luck and enjoy the football match! I hope your lads win it! |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | that wasnt my point... my point was stfu cause you have posted the same drivel for 4 years now. people get the point and if they dont THEN HEY they can simply go back to your previous post |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 85 Registered: Dec-03 | (Here we go again.) So, why do you care what and how much I post? Hater, none of your messages have anything to do with the assigned topic of this board. To paraphrase you, you are not "leader of the crusade" regarding how much any given member should/should not post on a msg board. People who check in here can decide for themselves whether they want to "go back" or SIMPLY HIT THE SCROLL DOWN KEY AND BYPASS MY "DRIVEL" WITHOUT READING IT. You can hate all you want, but I plan to post on this board for a long time to come. You know, for some odd reason the hate of some faceless joe on the internet that I don't know and will never meet just doesn't seem to get under my skin. But, hay, instead of continuously using up board space whining and moaning about how much I post, why don't YOU try posting about the topic? This board isn't about Stephen Holmes. It's about the topic, THE TOPIC, dude! Sheesh! |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | stfu k thx |
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rocky$4 Unregistered guest | HATER IT SEEMS TO ME THAT STEPHEN HAS TO POST THE SAME AS YOU CALL IT DRIVEL OVER AND OVER BECAUSE PEOPLE POST THE SAME THING ON THE OTHER END. YOU ARE DOING NOTHING BUT POSTING YOUR TYPE OF THE SAME DRIVEL YOURSELF BUT ITS HATE DRIVEL. YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO SCROLL BACK. IT SEEMS YOU ARE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO SCROLL BACK AND READ THE MSG FROM ECOUSTICS.COM ADMIN ABOUT QUIT ATTACKING CALLING NAMES. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT THIS BOARD IS ABOUT YOU SHOULD TAKE A HIKE! THERE ARE PLENTY OF HATE MSG BOARDS OUT THERE YOU CAN GET ON! |
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trecker Unregistered guest | You blokes don't understand. Holmeshater was surely handing over a compliment re: stfu (Some Technicians Fully Understand). Hater how's about just let it go and let's and move on, OK, before this board turns into the jerry springer show. |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | rocky you must be very unintelligent... that admin is listed as an unregistered guest... how many admins do you think are unregistered guests? and trecker that was the most unclever thing ive ever heard. even if that acronym meant what you have said, it would not make sense in the way that i used it. ill take a hike when i want to. |
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Unregistered guest | hi i got the maxi theatre lenses and haven't even attempted to use them can any 1 tell meif its even worth my while? |
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trecker Unregistered guest | Hater... Your last posting speaks volumes about you. As well, you call people unintelligent but you don't recognize sarcasm when you see it re: my stfu acronym comment? TO THE MSG BOARD - this clown is obveously hanging around looking for nothing but a scrap. The best way to get rid of a chap like him is to simply ignore him. Eventually, he will get bored and move on. The more people respond to him the longer he will stay. So unless he wants to discuss the topic, I suggest to just ignore him no matter what he says. He has a right to post here and spew his hate but anyone responding to him apparently makes his day. Just ignore him. |
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rocky$4 Unregistered guest | I LOVE IT! HATER SAYS TO SHOLMES "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HUNG AROUND HERE SO LONG SPOUTING THE SAME DRIVEL" AND NOW HE SAYS "I'LL TAKE A HIKE WHEN I WANT TO" SO APPARENTLY HE'S GOING TO HANG AROUND SPOUTING HIS SAME OLD DRIVEL. DUH? GUESS WHEN THEY WERE HANDING OUT BRAINS HATER JUST FORGOT TO GET IN LINE. I AGREE WITH TRECKER. JUST IGNORE THIS GUY NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS. HE HAS BROUGHT THIS BOARD TO A NEW LOW. JUST IGNORE HIM FROM NOW ON AND LET HIM HATE IN SOLITUDE. |
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KROUHIB Unregistered guest | I just found this board and have been following this latest exchange with great interest! People like HolmesHater really get my goat. Rocky, this guy calls you unintelligent because you quoted Econ.ADMIN who posted as an unregistered guest. It seems Hater doesn't have a clue. Who cares if Econ.ADMIN is unregistered? Who cares if Bimbo The Space Cadet wrote that post? What was said in the post made perfect sence TO AN ADULT. If y'all had ignored his first msg, Hater would be long gone by now. So, I agree with y'all that though he will probably continue to post on this board (no doubt with the same old drivel), why does some guy who puts the word "hate" in his username deserve as much of the time of day as you've given him so far? I probably won't be back to this board; this topic is not much interest to me. But, if anybody responds to him anymore you're no better than he is. You're right - there's only one way to handle someone like this on a msg board... IGNORE HIM! Have a nice life and see y'all in the funny papers! |
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trecker Unregistered guest | stuart112345 go back up through this msg board and look at stephenholmes' Feb. 6 exchange with SomeKidWhoDoesn'tWantToBeScammed for opinions re your question. While you're there, take note of the many ANTI-HATE members who thank stephen for posting here. And way to tell it like it is, krouhib. |
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Anonymous | For a 'True' insight on the process of Projection TV's and whats involved, Check out this Link: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/projection-tv1.htm >How Projection TV Works It is quite detailed! |
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Anonymous | Anyome consider using one of these CyberDisplay's to make a projection unit with? Seems like it would be ideal if you could come up with the associated hardware to ge it to work. Other thought is what about a ideo Camera Color viewfinder being used as the source for the projectors display? |
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Silver Member Username: Thx_3417Bournemouth, Dorset United Kingdom Post Number: 171 Registered: May-05 | Err Remands me of "TOTAL RECALL" go to this place and what there really after is your mind, I'll think I'll take a rain check before going there thanks? Ashley |
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Sepultura Unregistered guest | Not going to give a sales pitch but for those that are interested here is a link to my homemade LCD projector. http://www.lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1576 |
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stephen a nice guy Unregistered guest | hi, is these kits sold on ebay any good ?? like this : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1469%26item%3D559437994 5%26 & this 1 : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22639%26item%3D57861485 45%26 please note: both selling difereent lenz make. thx guys ;o) |
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Sepultura Unregistered guest | Stephen: From being involved in a DIY community for over a year now with building home made projectors, i have been exposed to many people that have tried those types of things and were extremely disapointed with the results. Some versions require you to turn your TV upside down, others the image on the screen is reversed. Those ads that are posted up there show a perfectly crystal clear very bright image with someone standing in front of it is misleading people big time. Its those types of people that give legit people like myself that succesfully accomplish a home made LCD projector a bad wrap when we try and tell people that it actually does work. Listening to everyone that i have heard about that with the results that they received there is no way that they are standing in front of this TV in a box scam. If you are truely interested in building a home theater video projector, I highly recomend that you visit http://www.lumenlab.com and check out what they have to offer. Its more expensive than what you have posted from ebay but its way cheaper than buying a commercial product and gives excelent results. Going on 1 year now of my current projector with many many hours on it and its still going strong. Works great for playing World of Warcraft and Battlefield 2 ;-) The post above yours has a link to the build process and results from my LCD projector. The forum there has many hundreds of other peoples results. Its hard to belive 1 persons claims but its a lot easier to become a beliver when you see all those other people with succesful results. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 86 Registered: Dec-03 | To Stephen A Nice Guy - the kits you link to sold are eBay are the S.O.S. - Same Old Shite. Once again (broken record time) I don't say don't build it. But, why not just get it for free? Scroll through this board to get the same plans you can get from an eBay seller. Better yet, consider the Lumenlab plans (keep reading). To Sepultura - if you scroll back through this board, you'll see that I am a fan of Lumenlab. Some time ago I came across a version of the same plans you link to and, while I don't have direct experience building the projector, I agree that the Lumenlab plans are a lot more sound than this nonsense of turning your TV upside down and duct taping a cardboard box to it. The plans require you to put together a strong lamp source projected through a computer's LCD monitor (not just the television's light and picture). But there appears to be a cavaet: One member on this board mildly critiqued that the Lumenlab plans were "very nice but had some weakness with needing a fairly dark room and requires some decent skill to make it work". I could only take him at his word, but perhaps you yourself would be happy to address those concerns now. On the other hand, I would say that based upon my review, the Lumenlab plans are well worth the time, money and effort. Again, this opinion comes with absoltely no hands-on experience so I say it should be taken with a grain of salt. I am a dedicated LCD projector owner (and with projectors dropping in price the way they are I will probably remain one). However, if I ever decided to DIY I would definitely seriously consider the Lumenlab method. I say big thumbs up on these plans and encourage all to study the link to the plans you posted on the Lumenlab Forum and judge for themselves. It appears that a little bit of effort and money will have to be put into these plans to make the projector work. But, the scam sites are getting over like Grover making people think they are going to get decent quality for nothing. |
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Sepultura Unregistered guest | Stephen Holmes: Some people have them in rooms with some lighting. Now how much lighting im not sure. I know that with my setup, i have it in the basement and there is 0 light in the room. If i turn on a lamp that is not right next to the screen i can still see the image but for best viewing no light in the room is better. I really have not seen any commercial LCD projector so its hard to judge on how bright it is. A friend of mine came over that has a commercial LCD projector and said that it looks pretty much the same. When i visit the local Damon's and they have their projectors running. My image is bigger and brighter. Granted there is some light in the room that could be washing it out some. Building the projector was not really hard at all. I had to borrow a table saw but the rest of the tools are just the basic things. The first time through it, it makes you nervous. I was worried about ruining the LCD panel when taking the monitor apart. But once i finally had the LCD mounted inside the box, everything went smooth as glass. It took me about 2 weeks to do with all the wood cutting and the measure 50 times cut once. Next box should only take me a day or 2. If you can build a computer this should be no problem. They are about the same level of DIY. Currently, as of July 14 2005, there is a Pro Lens kit in developement. The triplet is much larger than the current one which will allow more light for more brightness and has a longer throw distance. It is really a preference thing i guess. I don't have much money to spend on a commercial product for my home theater. I use it constantly i'd average it about 6 hours each day. I could not imagine having to replace those expensive bulbs all the time. They charge way too much for those bulbs. Mine is 50 bux and is rated like 20,000 hours. |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 87 Registered: Dec-03 | My LCD projector is bright enough to throw a very good picture with the interior (not daylight) lights on. However, you certainly bring up a great point about replacing bulbs, as they ARE expensive. However, I don't even come close to using my projector 6 hours every day. If I did, bulb replacement would certainly be a serious concern. You also bring up a good point about how to get good results with not much money. Many who post on this board claim to gravitate towards the cardboard/fresnel lens idea because they don't have much money. Well, maybe with your posts as motivation, perhaps they should consider the Lumenlab plans. Who knows? When I have some spare time, I may just knock one of these contraptions together as a lark to see what kind of comparative results I get. If you don't mind my asking, what model lcd computer monitor did you use? |
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Guest Unregistered guest | Is there anyone on here who was actually pleased with the results they got from the fresnel, considering the price? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 88 Registered: Dec-03 | Sepultura - dont' worry about answering my question about LCD panels. I looked at my copy of the LumenLab plans and saw that there is a section in it called "Selecting & Stripping An LCD Panel". |
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Unregistered guest | Great forum BTW! some great posts. SH , you're the man! Found this forum just in time. Has anyone out there tried the Lumenlab? Please share your experiences? I was about to get a copy of the guide but I saw pictures of the sample pages that gave me the impression it might requires a lot of diy skills . Plus Sepultura ( above) mentions 2 weeks and woodcutting ?! Right now,I can just about afford a projector , so I'm wondering if it's worth embarking on the LumenLab to save some money - or just buy the lcd projector. Can anyonelse reccomend LumenLab? |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 89 Registered: Dec-03 | PG (your member name certainly made me smile!) Scroll up to Sepultura's Friday, June 3, post for a link to a picture gallary of a Lumenlab projector being put together. I have a copy of the plans, which explain everything in great detail. I may build a Lumenlab projector just for fun one day. Based on the plans I have and my otherwise limited knowledge about LumenLab, I would say seriously consider going that route. As for me, right now I am very happy with my commercial LCD projector. If you're ready to buy, make sure you research the price of replacement bulbs for whatever unit you choose! THEY CAN BE EXPENSIVE! Sepultura says he uses his projector 6 hours every day. I don't even come close to that, but if I did bulb replacement would be a very serious concern. However, I keep my projector lamp on the low energy saving setting which extends the bulb's life and there is very little drop in the brightness. In addition to whatever opinions you get here, you might want to check out the LumenLab member forum (Sepultura also posted the link to that above). I think (off the top of my head) I've got something like 20,000 hours rated on my bulb. However, where Sepultura will spend only $50 for a replacement I may shell out over $300 (if I don't find a cheap bulb outlet). I can easily afford the $300+, so with my medium-intense projector lifestyle, I say so what? I can afford not to need to build a projector, so if I do it'll be just for my amusement. I may never build one at all. Yours may be a different story, so collect as much information as you can, take all things into consideration and your choice accordingly. Then again, if you don't have any "dry skills" (as you call them) at all, your choice has already been made for you. Go ahead, bite the bullet and buy, 'cause if you ain't going to build a projector anyway, well, there it is and that's the bottom line! GOOD LUCK! |
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Unregistered guest | hi there, i would just like to know that what kinda quality images u get from fresnel lenses can anybody show the samples !!! is it fine for the price u spend that is just the lens as methods are available on net. Stephen Holmes -i would like to hear from you and one more question for a size of just 50' is the fresnel sufficient enough plz comment!! |
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trecker Unregistered guest | Those questions have been answered many times on this board. Go back through the message board and you will get answers in great detail. If stephenholmes keeps answering the same old questions over and over the haters will come out and post that they can't believe he is being so redundant and saying the same things 50 times. So I would say go back and scan through the posted messages becus i know these issues have already been covered. |
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trecker Unregistered guest | If you don't believe me, here is "stephenholmeshater" post from Thursday, May 12, 2005 which said: >>>my point was stfu cause you have posted the same drivel for 4 years now. people get the point and if they dont THEN HEY they can simply go back to your previous post<<< So I would say take stephenholmeshater's advice and "go back to look at some of the previous posts |
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stephenholmeshater Unregistered guest | *applauds* |
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New member Username: DsamuelsonSan Mateo, CA USA Post Number: 6 Registered: Jul-05 | This might be a dumb question, but I have read tons of the previos posts. Is there anyone who has built the LumenLab one and wishes to sell it? Are there any legal issues involved in this? Could I build one and then sell it? My reasoning would be, time is money for me and I have never soldered anything before, I would be afraid of just wasting my money trying to build it. If it takes someone 2 days to build one for lets say, $300.00. Would they be willing to sell it for a little more? |
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stephenholmeshater Unregistered guest | . |
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stephenholmeshater Unregistered guest | i fallen and i can't get up wahoo! sowwrry. hard 2 tipe whiledrinkin *more applauds* |
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Sepultura Unregistered guest | David Samuelson: I dont know of anyone on the lumenlab site that has sold the projector already built. You might find someone but i do not think it would be for anything less than 800 bux if i were to guess. It does take time to build and research for cheap LCD pannels. Now with that being said, one would say, why spend 800 bux on DIY when you can just buy one for a little more. 1. bulb price 2. DIY is fun and you can say "I built that!" 3. Picture quality is almost flawless and is very sharp/clear. |
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zman49 Unregistered guest | great board!! i wud really like to know is fresnel lens tv worth it? or is it just a wast of time and money?? let me know!!! |
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stephenholmeshater Unregistered guest | !!! idiots! all idiots!!! why do i waste my time with you people??? Jeez! |
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IcemanProjector Unregistered guest | For the past couple of days i have been reading up on these forums, learning what can be done. I am thinking of setting up my own projector in my room using the lumenlabs plans. Of all they seem to have the most complete package - the tom's hardware plans, although good in practice, i feel that an OHP is bound to make a lot of noise and it is quite an ugly raw beast to have sitting on my shelf in my room. My plans are to link up my mac to the screen and using an EYEtv box watch TV through the mac and projected on the screen. I was wondering if anyone here is a mac user and whether the plans which all seem PC based have thrown up any problems for mac users. I will be using my iMac G5 2ghz computer, the lumen plans and an EyeTV box in a room about 14' square. Im from the UK although i don't see that being much of an issue with build! Great forum, very informative |
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stephenholmeshater Unregistered guest | macs are for f*cking idiots, who cares. mac users need to rot in their own self uselessness because they own one |
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Sepultura Unregistered guest | Iceman: What kinda plans that are PC based? |
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IcemanProjector Unregistered guest | I now see that there is no problem with compatibilty. Its just i was wondering about the drivers for the monitors, and whether i would find a suitable monitor that would also be compatible with my mac. Being fairly new to this idea of DIY coolness i am just finding my feet. *stepenholmeshater - so tell me what you have to offer? Anything other than contradictory comments. You say that macs are for f*cking idiots and yet you obviously don't own one so it can't be true* |
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Bronze Member Username: MotleyPost Number: 91 Registered: Dec-03 | Iceman... You say you have been reading these forums so you must know by now that stephenholmeshater is here not interested in intelligent discussion but just looking for a fight. My advice is don't engage him. If he doesn't want to contribute to the topic, just ignore him no matter what he says. That is, unless you enjoy cyber equivalent of rolling around in the mud with people like him. |
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The kid again Unregistered guest | quote from stephenholmeshater: "!!! idiots! all idiots!!! why do i waste my time with you people??? Jeez!" yeah really? why would you even bother loitering around this site for 3 months if you dont care wat any1 say? honestly, you need to get a life if all you can do is ridicule Stephen Holmes |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | i only wrote the first 3 or so posts... notice the username.. but i agree with whoever wrote that macs are for f/ucking retards stephen you can stfu and suck a d/ick still steve jobs is a f.ucking loser that failed at everything.. enjoy your one button mouse f.aggot stfu all kthx |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | in other words i agree with myself because when i get drinkin i keep forgetting how many posts i write since i am so stupid |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | i dont drink.. thx |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | somebody here better fight with me because you can't ignore me forever. i'll hang around as long as i want to. btw i didn't write any of these msgs...notice username... need a drink...thx |
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holmeshater Unregistered guest | IM THE BIGGEST HATA.. PIT BULLLLLL |
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