I ordered one of the projectors someone on this site recommended. Now I need something cool to project through it. All the files/dvds I am finding to project are expensive? Anyone have any low cost alternatives?
I want to set up a projection on my windows up until Halloween, then I want to set up a hologram effect in the haunted garage I am setting up.
Thank you for any replies and or advice...
I am, by no means an expert, but JMHO that the old adage "you get what you pay for" applies to this situation.
Using atmosfeafx for this example, you can get your choice of several standard definition dvd's for about $40 or you can get individual clips for $10. I prefer some flexibility and as little repetition as possible, so prefer the dvd that will loop through several characters/scenes before repeating. I have never gotten one of their downloads, so can't specifically state what options each has or how long a scene runs before starting over. If I ever saw one, perhaps the high def 1080p at a higher price might look appealing, but it seems to me that ghosts are not clearly defined anyway. So I am satisfied with standard def.
Then again, you could always make your own video to your liking.
Good advice. I am going to go with the atmosfearfx. Trying to decide between Reg Def and High Def 1080p to justify the cost? I find it hard to believe this projector I just ordered yesterday...LP-6B Portable FHD 1080P LED Projector w/ HDMI, VAG, USB 2.0, AV, SD...for $50 bucks new, will really show any difference between the two formats even though it is supposed to be an HD projector. I dunno?
May try one or two of them clips for $10 each and then a regular def video?
The projectors is 640x480 and can support (play) 1080p files, but yeah it is a low resolution projector. I'm using a similar projector for singing pumpkins, but won't expect much more. Don't make your image to big or need a lot of detail, and it's good for that.
Edit: here's a photo of the similar spec"d projector showing a bone chillers skeleton.
I've been using Hallowindow since 2009 (http://hallowindow.com/). You can get a download of Hallowindow 1&2 for $20. Not dirt cheap, but not too bad. I own DVDs of Hallowindow 1-4. Last year I ripped all of the movie files and made myself a custom DVD that loops so I can play through all 4 DVDs without having to walk upstairs and change DVDs every so often. Works great with my cheap InFocus 800x600 projector that I bought used.
I had been going back-n-forth about whether to purchase several separate HD downloads at a higher price or just go for the SD DVDs at a lower resolution. After looking around the internet for low cost alternatives, and not finding what I was looking for, I just bit the bullet and purchased the DVDs instead. My projector has a native resolution of 1280 x 800.
I figure it's for one night a year and it will still look good, so I went for what was cheaper. I plan on ripping them and creating a "custom" DVD from the scenes I want from both DVDs. I am projecting on a large front window. As far as projection material, I am still debating between a $1 white shower curtain liner from Dollar Tree or trying gray tulle that one member here has had some great results with. The tulle will give it more of a "hologram" look.
Probably what I will end up doing? I did order that "tulle" for about$15 I found recommended on here. More than I need but I will make use of it somehow.
Consider making your own video. If you have a skeleton, you can animate it using a large variety of techniques. 1st place it against a black background, or simply the darkness of night. Adjust the brightness and contrast to make sure the "black" stuff really is not showing. Then, animate your skeleton.
To animate it, you might simply turn it into a marionette. Alternatively you can add control rods, as short sticks glued into the back. Then, hang the skeleton in front of a black cloth, with the rods poking through the cloth. Youl could lay the skeleton on the ground, with the black cloth undeneath. Then the control rods go off to the sides.
Of course, if you are handy with a video editor, you can add things, or erase things you don't want to be in the picture. Wisps of fog, or other effects can be added.
If you don't want the task because your interests and energies lay elsewhere, then ask for volunteers to make the video, and let them have the fun. Just be sure to accept their results.
I have used white shower curtain, but added some black chiffon cloth in front of it, to make the dark areas darker. If you don't have front ambient light, then it doesn't matter.
I bought the atmosfx wraith HD download for $10. From my experiences, you can always downgrade from HD to standard def video quality, but you can never, no matter what tips and tricks you try, to get SD to really look as good as HD.
Remember, your video quality is only as good as the source, so if you had a choice to either get the SD or HD, get the HD.
Here is an interesting article that describes their experience testing these very low cost projectors. Their universal result is that their specs are EXTREMELY exaggerated. The output of the 3 they tested were all less than 10% of the stated brightness. Outright fraud. http://www.projectorcentral.com/cheap_projectors.htm
I searched the Projector Central site for the abdtech brand, and none existed. This a wonderful sight, with detailed reviews and tests of many projectors. Also great parametric search tools, with projection size calculators. Unfortunately, the entire projector industry tends to be prone towards exaggerating their light output to some extent. http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm
I will also relate a recent experience with trying to purchase a low-cost LED spot light. I purchased several from Amazon, and one from E-bay. None of them were even close to their stated brightness. It seems that in the world of LEDs, lying by the low-cost vendors is normal.
I tested these LED spot lights by opening them up and measuring the current and voltage provided to the LED when it was set to full brightness. The seller gave the wattage, so it was easy to calculate what wattage the LED is actually consuming. The best one was around half what it should be, another was closer to 1/10. I should add that you probably can't simply plug one of these units into a wattage meter. The power supply is a switching power supply, with a complex power draw curve. It is possible that your power meter can analyze it, but the results may be grossly inaccurate as well. That is why I went inside to measure the power provided to the LED itself, since that power, at 100% brightness, should be a simple non-varying current. The units I tested were the brand TSSS. See a picture below.
I've been using projector central and projector reviews for years now in researching a projector but with the horde of low cost Chinese no-name projectors its impossible to use these site to gauge whether any of these pjs are good or not. In the end, I end up using Amazon reviews and try to confirm the actual resolution. If I see a review that says the resolution is different than what the ad implies, I don't bother. Also, I look at a MINIMUM 858x480 native resolution (ie WVGA resolution). If its 800x600 its the same (close enough) when the 600 is cropped down to fit a dvd image with no loss in resolution. Native DVD is 720x480.
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