There are a lot of very expensive, large screen LCD and plasma monitors around, but they can't compete for size and cost with an on wall screen, using a data projector connected to your computer, or desk top TV box.

To get an LCD or plasma screen of the size of an on- wall projected screen, would cost tens of thousands, if not over a hundred thousand dollars! You don't even have to purchase a special screen to project the data projector onto.

What I am trying to tell you, is that for a thousand or so dollars, you can have a very large screen, home theatre set-up!

1. It can also be used as your screen for playing games, watching
TV, or as a computer monitor.

2. You can't get a flatter screen than a wall.

3. It can be the focus of your entire home entertainment system.

There are a few ways you can do this.

Firstly, realise that most fabric based large screens tend to get rolls and stretch lines, plus they can be expensive.

There are much cheaper alternatives that be used to get you a very large, quality home theatre screen, at a fraction of the cost.

1. Purchase a white matt finished masonite wihitecoat board to the
size you want, from Mitre Ten. Tell them what you want to use it
for, and they will make sure it is sent from the manufacture
with protective packaging and care. You can framed it, hang it
or stick it on to a large wall. For a 1.2mt x .9mt size it will
cost under $20 plus free local delivery.

2. Get a very large white painters canvas from one of the dollar
shops, Crazy Clarks, for example, (around $20 for 1.2mts
x .9mts) and hang it on the wall.

3. Pick a large wall in your entertainment room, and paint part of
it, or all of it, white. There are some special paints and wall
preparations you can buy to do this, which are expensive. I have
experimented, and found a brand of New-Zealand manufactured
environmentally friendly paint, Resene Zylone 20 flat acrylic
with a slight touch of gray, which works really well. Cost of
4lts of the paint and fine roller, under $100. You will need to
prepare the wall and give it a few coats, with a light sand
between coats. Paint City at Currimundi were very helpful with
advice, getting the paint, and shading it correctly for me.

(Tip: make sure you use a fine roller to apply the paint)

You can now pick up a reasonable quality Epson, Toshiba, Sony, or Panasonic CD data projector for around a thousand dollars.

(Tip: Aim to get a data projector with around a 1200 lumens or brighter specification. In some brightly lit rooms, you will need black out curtains for day viewing.)

Most data projectors will easily project up to a screen size of 3.5mts by 3.5mts or larger. Try buying an LCD or Plasma screen of that size!

(Tip: stay away from DLP data projectors with a 4x or less colour wheel.
These low speed colour wheel models tend to produce a rainbow effect on the screen.)

You can also purchase high definition data projectors that will give you high definition TV or DVD quality viewing, for around $3,000 or under.

(Tip: Check out the warranty & life of the bulbs, plus cost of replacement, before purchasing a data projector. Some newer, more expensive models now have a 10,000 hour life on the bulbs.

If you connect an Internet connected computer with TV tuner and radio, to the data projector, and use it as your entertainment centre, you can ditch all those remotes and use a wireless keyboard with tackball mouse to control everything. They cost around $85 on the Internet. Then sit back, relax, and be master of your own entertainment universe.

Your neighbours will think you have won the lotto when they see your large screen set-up.

If you're an audiophile, home theatre enthusiast, or just love listening to music or watching movies, come along to SCCC Inc. and find out how this all works.

Sunshine Coast Computer Club Inc.
sccc@sccc.org.au
Info Line 07 54921005