Using a projector and screen

[markturner1960]

Hi, anyone here use a projector and screen? I am thinking of maybe going this route, I currently use a large (55 inch) monitor, but think it may be nice to get more sideways and vertical showing. 

Whats involved in doing this, what are the tradeoffs ( resolution for example Vs size and performance) Can you make a screen fairly easily? I was thinking maybe a curved screen.....? 

Cheers

[MAXsenna]

4 hours ago, markturner1960 said:

Hi, anyone here use a projector and screen? I am thinking of maybe going this route, I currently use a large (55 inch) monitor, but think it may be nice to get more sideways and vertical showing. 

Whats involved in doing this, what are the tradeoffs ( resolution for example Vs size and performance) Can you make a screen fairly easily? I was thinking maybe a curved screen.....? 

Cheers

Hey Mark! Check out the Warthog Project on YouTube.  

[agrasyuk]

I'm using pair of 1080P short throw projectors on Curved 180FOV screen + 27"  screen for instruments. in my opinion this is an ideal setup if one has room and $. I would love to have a 3 beamer,270 FOV setup but this one is very usable. 
"But VR!!!" Yes, I tried VR, about 8 hours in Rift S. I prefer my setup by far, sold the Rift.
 "but how do you look up and back?!" Track IR. works great
"Easy to make" requirement will depend on your skill level. my first screen I attempted to adhere a proper screen material ($$$) onto curve hardboard.  after some time the material  wrinkled creating streaks that killed the immersion. maybe I used bad adhesive. Current screen  is a paint-on , mix of neutral grey and a reflective component. the exact proportions will depend on which light conditions you attempting to optimize the painted screen for (i.e. more white if you are in dark room and so on).

shortcomings -

1. pixel density. after all you are stretching and curving a 1080P image. 4K short throw beamers do exist, but unfortunately (or maybe actually fortunately) they are 3500$ a pop, out of my budget and have slightly less throw ratio which means they cannot be used with my 7.5' diameter screen. 
2. calibration is tricky and WILL test your patience guaranteed.

3. Drift. over time projectors can get misaligned requiring step # again. 

summary: this is the 2nd. best solution that you can possibly have.  right after full cockpit plus that 8000$ augmented reality headset.

Edited January 26, 2022 by agrasyuk

[crazysundog]

I used a single projector on a flat 90” screen for a while; it was great, but was also the family movie setup as well so eventually went to VR.

I love projectors, someday may return to using them.

one thing I’ll mention is they are easy on the eyes, much more so than vr or screens.

[markturner1960]

Thanks, the warthog project makes it look pretty cheap and simple as well.....I also found these guys: https://viperwing.com/curved-screens-domes-visual-systems/  who do a pretty reasonably priced screen if you do not want to make it yourself.

The only reservation I had is the resolution......how do you find that? I use a 4K 50 inch monitor currently which is awesome and going back to 1080p seems fairly retrograde especially as its stretched pretty big......

 

 

[Schmidtfire]

On 2/4/2022 at 4:17 PM, markturner1960 said:

The only reservation I had is the resolution......how do you find that?

Im a bit curious about this aswell. Reading instruments, MFD’s, spotting. Currently playing at 1440p on a 27”. But Im contemplating trying DCS on a reasonably good 1080p LED projector, without spending too much on it.

[agrasyuk]

9 hours ago, vidici said:

Hello. I'm currently planning a private home cinema, but I'm considering building a 135 degree field of view curved wall onto which I will be projecting (only curved in the horizontal plane, not the vertical). This full field of vision won't be for movies, but I am thinking of getting three projectors for use with the Matrox 3-head splitter so that I can also do somewhat immersive gaming. The thing is, I'm having a hard time finding projectors that detail whether or not they can project and focus onto a curved screen, each of which will be a 45 degree sweep, without distorting the image or having focussing issues. I was wondering if anyone has ever done any curved-surface projection work in the past, and where can I find projectors suited to this task?

I'm not aware of any projectors that will do curving and blending out of the box. You will need to use some sort of curving/blending software, https://fly.elise-ng.net/immersive-display-pro/ is very commonly used for this purpose. 
You are asking a very good question about focus. My screen has an unusually aggressive curve in order to fit the limited space. this means more deviation from the focus plane than others (ie.  "The Warthog Project"  setup). Still I do have a very good picture with Benq 1085ST projectors. With 135 degrees of FOV your curve be milder so I don't think you will experience issues with focus.
Eventually, I want to move to dual 4K projection, probably with Benq TK700STi. 

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