I have an HD fly in my DLP

May 21, 2006 5:17 PM

The back of my DLP HDTV, has a vent in the back for the light projector. Some light escapes out of this vent. A small bug got into the house recently and found the light from the vent. It then discovered an illumination jackpot inside the set. This resulted in a big bug inside the unit and projected onto the screen that I couldn't get out. Does anyone have tips on keeping small insects out of a projection TV like a DLP without restricting the airflow to the lamp, potentially damaging the set?
posted by quixado to technology (8 comments total)

Wire mesh cube around the vent? Purchase a sheet of fine wire mesh, fashion a cube from it (or even lay it flat over the vent) and tape it down.
posted by fire&wings at 5:23 PM on May 21, 2006

fiberglass window screen. This is what it was invented for, and the designers were lax in not including some behind vent holes large enough to admit an insect. You can secure it to the set with a bead of RTV (silicone bathtub caulk) applied over the screen as you hold it in place.
posted by localroger at 6:40 PM on May 21, 2006

Agreed, bad design.

Make sure to clean the screen regularly, or risk damaged DLP ...
posted by intermod at 7:15 PM on May 21, 2006

My DLP projector has mesh screens either side of the bulb where the vents are. You're meant to clean them every couple of months - maybe that's why they left them out.
posted by cillit bang at 8:11 PM on May 21, 2006

Did you try using a vacuum to get the bug out?
posted by effugas at 8:15 PM on May 21, 2006

Wow am I glad I'm not the only person who had that happen! Actually, I noticed the bug one night, the next day he was gone. Thanks for all the great ideas!
posted by neilkod at 8:56 PM on May 21, 2006

Fortunately, the light show didn't include a snack bar so the bug died the next day (or left once the TV was off). Just trying to prevent a repeat incident.

@fire&wings and @localroger: Any airflow issues with the mesh screens you recommended? Any specific brands, names, gauge of mesh, etc.?

Thanks for all the responses so far.
posted by quixado at 6:15 AM on May 22, 2006

You will encounter no airflow or heat issues with fiberglass screen. Get thee to Home Depot or equivalent and buy a small roll or sheet of "bulk fiberglass window screen."

It's the stuff that's stretched over open windows to keep bugs out of your house, it's very flexible and tough. They also make aluminum screen but it's more expensive and harder to work. You don't need to worry about grades, sizes, etc.; it's a pretty standard item.

There is a technology of frames, runners, and stuff used to actually stretch the stuff over windows, which you don't need. If you don't say "bulk" they may ask you for sizes and quote you on a screen pre-stretched on a frame, which isn't what you want. You want to mould it around the vents on your TV and seal the edges, which is easy to do; you'll see what I mean when you get the stuff. Just press it into place, and *from above* squeeze silicon caulk down over it; the caulk will squeeze through the screen holes and stick to the surface beneath, locking it in place from above.
posted by localroger at 7:05 PM on May 24, 2006 [1 favorite]