Exploring a new project... budget video projectors?

Recording, Mixing and Producing Video Production
#1

I’ve been asked to exhibit some of my charcoal sketches in an art exhibition… they will be in video format and I’d like to project them onto a wall space. Am just exploring how I could do this… bear with me, my latent technophobia lurches forward at these times. I have no real money to spare on fancy gear but saw this budget projector in a review list : https://www.amazon.com/Projector-1280x768-Resolution-Compatible-Smartphone/dp/B01M9K63F4

It’s not super bright but for the price, may do… it would be used in daylight. Now… I may or may not have music to go with this project… but then I read the specs:
★Connections

Input Connectors: VGA + USB2.0 +AV + TV + HDMI
Output Connectors: HDMI + 3.5mm headset jack
Input Video Compatibility: Analog RGB
Other Interface: 2 x HDMI (1.1-1.4), 2 x USB

Does that mean I could plug external speakers into the headset jack?
I thought I could use a tablet to play the images into the projector but this is all a bit new and challenging for me so any helpful suggestions would be great. If I’m buying a projector, I’d want to get something that could potentially play semi decent sounds for playing videos… the best for my buck but… hmm, champagne tastes on a beer income.

Any thoughts advice gratefully received! Rather than buy something just for this project I’d rather buy something that I could get more use out of and I do have some thoughts for future live work .

#2

The biggest part of a projector is the lumens. The higher the better. 2800 is good for a very dark room but if there will be sunlight or lights on in the room than you’ll want to go to 4000 or even better 6000. Sometimes a large T.V. is better.

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#3

Thanks Paul… yeah the tv option would be ideal but logistically too tricky. And because there will be other art works on display, there will be lighting on… hmm the more lumens the bigger the cost. Ah well, it’s interesting to explore…

#4

In addition to Lumens, (brightness) having a good contrast ratio (difference between black and white) and a native 1080P output would be important to displaying your work properly. The one you are looking at would have to down convert the input from your tablet if it is 1080P. I know your budget for this is limited, but I’ve seen full 1080P projectors for less than $500, although they will be a bit bulkier. You’d also have the added advantage of using it at home for watching movies if you wanted to. Whether or not this would work is dependent on the size of the image you want to project and if you have room to do it. Some of the projectors will have a built in speaker, or you could have a little wireless blue tooth speaker near the display that might work with your tablet for the music side of things.

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#5

After checking out the available projectors think I’ve flipped right back to a flat tv screen… the projectors are simply out of my price range to get the clarity that I’m after and while a tv screen doesn’t work for me conceptually, technically it’s the only thing that will give an okay result. Interesting to find the variation in definition of Lumens and how the cheap ones often have a sneaky inaccurate lumen representation. Thanks heaps for the feedback.

#6

I guess the idea of a TV doesn’t seem as attractive as having an image appear on a wall by itself. But you’ll have more control over the image itself and the TV will also hopefully do a good job with the audio which spares you having yet another set of equipment strewn about. I suppose you could do some animation too, or a slide show presentation?

And if the wall itself doesn’t enhance your image you would have to deal with that issue as well, I think you’re more secure with a flat screen, you can take that anywhere. Will you post the results for us?

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#7

This is a great point. You could build a frame around the T.V. to make it feel more like art:)

#9

That’s a good idea if she already has one.

Emma…that TV screen has really bad built in audio, if it were me I’d borrow a super small simple pair of powered speakers off a friend or neighbor.

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#10

Yep, already thinking along that path… :wink:

Yep I have a couple of small speakers I’d use for that… ta! The music is a small part of this - it’s more the art work but following on from my sketches like this:

Gawd, better get myself organised, only have about 6 weeks to collate the thing if I’m going ahead with it… :scream:

edit: gosh … I did that one a while back and already there are heaps of changes for me to make… stuff that I’ve learned :roll_eyes: