The starting point for the self rigged 1080p HD projector is a 120V S15 Mega-Kit from Lumenlab. The Lumenlab kit gives a leg up with all the different components for the projector setup. The kit includes:

• S15 Projection Lens Triplet to focus the light.
• Fresnel lens to shape the reflected light
• LL/Vue 400w eBallast powering the 400W 6500K bulb.

The Lumenlab store is also a good place to shop around for a compatible LCD flat panel monitor that will support the high definition projections at that resolution. Save a ton of bother by buying one which will be let you enjoy high end image formats like Blu-Ray.

A high-def projector is a precision gadget. Exact specifications for the design may really make or break the project. This is where Lumenlab’s DIY Projector Guide and the Projector Builder section of the Lumenlab Forum lend their know-how. The DIY HD projector may seem like a hi-tech challenge, but with the starter help of the video, Lumenlab’s kit and forum, it’s worth the work.

Follow some of our previous posts that help you design your entertainment:

• Full DIY Home Theater Build: Start to Finish
• Build your own Movie Server
• DIY Stadium Seating for the Super Bowl

The process isn’t described in detail on the original thread over at benheck.com, but I’m sure we could extrapolate the process ourselves:

• Remove all of the pots and switches off of the LCD board and rewire them.
• Remove the front panel and replaced it with the LCD. This could be hard to do without a proper cutting tools.
• Find the RCA out pin then solder it to the LCD board.
• Make sure everything is secure with high performance double-sided tape or glue.

The usefulness of this mod can be debated, there’s no way you can play the Xbox 360 ‘on-the-go’ without a car battery attached. (of course, Ben Heck would beg to differ) But, on the other hand, user ‘SgtSmackaho’ did it just for fun.

• See all of our Xbox and Xbox 360 Mods
• More fantastic and creative uses for LCDs

At NYU, they’ve combined the power of 27 projectors to create a massive 120 feet long video display.  It uses software called Spyder (not free) to combine them into the equivalent of six 16:9 displays.  It’s absurdly over the top, but see some low budget tips below to make a mini version.

(images courtesy of Gizmodo)

DIY on the Cheap:

• Use free software like Display Fusion to combine multiple screens.
• Take apart some old CRTs so you just have the display without the casing
• Put them together to create a wicked gaming experience or TV display.

It’s oubviously more complicated then that, but it can be done on a budget.  Imagine trying to play GTA IV or any FPS on that screen!

In case you don’t know, POV (persistence of vision) is the blur you see when you wave an object quickly.  In this case, by flashing LEDs at certain times while an object is waved, a message appears in the air.  Easily build your own DIY POV display.

It has a built in accelerometer so it can detect how to properly display the letters/characters when moving at various speeds. It has a built in “letter generator” I suppose you’d call it.  So basically instead of typing B10001 B10101 etc to get the letter A, all you have to do is tell it to type “A” and it already knows which segments to illuminate.  An outstanding yet simple project.

You can buy POV Kits too: Bike spokes or miniPOV.