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Projector that plays from a USB key

  • 28-03-2017 1:05pm
    #1
    littleredspot
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 747 ✭✭✭


    Looking to get a home projector. The room is dark, 6m from projector to screen. Screen will be approx. 100". I have 2 particular requirements. The shelf that the projector is going on is to the side, therefore I need vertical as well as horizontal keystone adjustment. Also, occasionally I will need to use it in a garden. I don't have a laptop so need it to be able to play from a USB key. From what I can gather all the cheaper LED units can play this way but it's rarer on bulb type but the LED type aren't the best for home cinema? Ideally I'd like to keep the cost near to €500 and don't mind second hand. Any ideas? Or are my requirements even doable?


Comments

  • #2
    The Ritz
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, RicherSounds.ie Moderator Posts: 2,505 Mod ✭✭✭✭The Ritz


    Hi,

    Justr a few suggestions - the cheap LCD based projectors that can be found on Ebay and sales sites nearer home are very basic and I wouldn't recommend them for anything other than novelty use for kids (and even at that I'd probably find an alternative).

    Vertical and horizontal lens shift has limitations depending on the projector, so if you do choose something, check that it will fit - the user-manuals for virtually all projector can be found online with a little searching.

    The USB connector (where provided) on home cinema projectors is usually intended for firmware updates, very few projectors would have built in media players - an alternative is to use a streaming dongle attached to the projectors HDMI-in and send your data to that. Some office type projectors can play powerpoint type files directly from usb, you could check the manuals to see if they also play media files. You could also just get a cheap dvd player that will play media files via usb and use that.

    You say you want to use this in the garden - I assume this would be at night ? During the day time you would have a hugely compromised picture (if any at all). Just bear in mind that the light output at night will attract moths and bugs etc - you should build a "box" frame with netting on all sides so that the projector can still cool itself but that you don't get bugs sucked into the air intake. Outdoor movies in the summer are brilliant but take a good bit of effort and planning.

    Ritz.


  • #3
    littleredspot
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 747 ✭✭✭littleredspot


    Hi, that's great information thanks. Seems like I'm aiming for the bulb type so. I wonder why they don't include the technology to play from the USB, I have a couple of €35 eBay ones that do! It's a community garden and the main use is at Halloween but if we could get it to work well, movie nights could be great fun, good tip about the moths.


  • #4
    niallb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,755 ✭✭✭niallb


    I'd suggest you get whatever projector you can manage to give the best picture for the best price. Good advice on boxing off the lights with mesh.

    So long as the projector has a HDMI input, you can plug in another device to manage the USB key. Using a raspberry pi for that would likely save you far more on the cost of the projector than the raspberry pi itself would cost. It also gives you the choice of using a DVD player which are easily available from 20 euro.


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