outdoor guerilla cinema

October 5, 2006 4:42 PM

I need help with my out door guerilla cinema Idea. My thought was Laptop, projector, with bluetooth for sound. But I don't know much about bluetooth headphones...

I want to sneak into places and hold guerilla cinema screenings. I thought bluetooth headsets would be a good way to distribute sound to a mass of punters with out having the sound attract attention to ourselves.

Seeing as bluetooth head sets for mobile phones seem to be a dime a dozen, I thought bluetooth stereo headsets would be cheap enough that the crowd could bring their own. But I'm yet to find 'cheap' bluetooth stereo headsets. Any idea's on cheap headsets or another way to distrube the sound to punters in a quietish manner

posted by Burgatron to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 comments total)

FM transmitter. Bluetooth sucks for audio.
posted by chrismear at 4:43 PM on October 5, 2006

Bluetooth isnt 'broadcast' in the sense of FM radio. Each headset would need to associate with your laptop. Each would show up as a seperate sound device, so you would essentially need an application that can play sound to 20(?) sound cards at once.

I second FM transmitter.
posted by SirStan at 5:05 PM on October 5, 2006

3rd fm transmitter. Bluetooth is expensive, range isn't great, and each and every receiver would have to pair with the transmitter (your laptop)
posted by defcom1 at 5:21 PM on October 5, 2006

4th FM transmitter, or try an FM modulator.
posted by mattholomew at 5:27 PM on October 5, 2006

Thanks!

FM transmitter it is then. I looked into it. Cheap and easy for people to bring their own personal radio's with ear phones.

NOW I'm looking for a decent portable projector with USB power (unlikely to find i think) or a small generator that's not going to cause a stink problem if we projector in a confined space.
posted by Burgatron at 5:37 PM on October 5, 2006

Maybe you can find some tips at Mobile Movie.
posted by trixie_bee at 5:42 PM on October 5, 2006

Burgatron writes "NOW I'm looking for a decent portable projector with USB power (unlikely to find i think) or a small generator that's not going to cause a stink problem if we projector in a confined space."

For a couple hours of movie playing you'd be better off with a deep cycle automotive battery and a invertor. Optima style starved electrolyte batteries won't leak even if turned upside down.
posted by Mitheral at 5:49 PM on October 5, 2006

Dude, this is an awesome idea.

I've often thought of DJing "silent dances this way" (I work at a "real" radio station...).

As far as transmitters go, check out Ramsey Electronics, whose products are so great the FCC raids them periodically.
posted by phrontist at 7:29 PM on October 5, 2006

If you're going to go the inverter + 12V battery route you want to get a MARINE battery. Standard auto batteries are designed to provide a lot of amperage over a short interval (to start your car). Marine batteries are the opposite and will last you longer both in duration and lifetime.

Happily, many auto parts stores have started carrying them and the prices have been driven down. The Advanced AutoParts store near my house has them now in the $40 range. Grab a $10 battery charger from ebay , Sears or the autoparts store and a $5 cig lighter socket thing to wire to it and you're set.
posted by phearlez at 10:56 AM on October 6, 2006

Marine batteries are the mules of the battery world, half starting battery and half deep cycle. Your average marine battery will only handle 50% discharges and maybe not even that.

You want a deep cycle battery which will handle 80% discharges without being damaged.

Further Reading.
posted by Mitheral at 11:48 PM on October 6, 2006