Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with projection

White plastic sheeting, suitable for rear-projection, in or around Toronto

sixswitch — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:07:47 -0800

I'm doing a show in Toronto involving rear-projection (both of plain white light with a person creating a shadow, and of video). I'm trying to locally source thin, white plastic sheeting to use for a large screen, by this week or next week. For a tactile reference, think of the slippery, slightly stretchy plastic used in layers as tablecloths at some Chinese restaurants. Or white Glad kitchen catchers.

I would love to buy a roll of something, at least 8 ft x 40 ft and preferably longer (so I have 'spares').

This is in the very near future, and I would prefer to buy something locally in Toronto or the GTA rather than online. Budget is minimal and definitely under a hundred bucks.

So far: I've found the tablecloths, but they don't come on a roll, so I'd have to stitch or melt them together. Fraught. I've found giant white tarps, which are an okay backup but are staggeringly unsexy. I've found vapour barrier, which is almost perfect, except I've only found it in 'clear'. I've found white plastic banquet tablecloths on rolls, but only online; they're only 40" wide which is also less than ideal.

I prefer plastic to paper because it needs to setup and strike quietly, and because there are more possibilities for tactile interaction (like stretching and deforming), but I'd use paper as a backup. Know any good, cheap, nonwovens?

The most useful information would be local fabricators or dealers that stock similar stuff. Laird Plastics and Plasticworld focus on rigid plastics rather than rolled sheeting.

Summary: looking for a) ideas for off-the-shelf materials that might work for this, and b) ideas for where to go to get them. Thanks in advance.

Who do I call for non-electrical issues with my television?

kingjoeshmoe — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:19:23 -0800

Who do I call to fix decidedly non-electrical problems with my projection TV? Do I really need a television repair man? If so, can you recommend one in Los Angeles? Sorry for the ridiculous question, but it's ridiculous enough that I've been avoiding dealing with it because I don't know the answer.

So I have a big projection TV. It has two problems:

1. A very tiny bug has crawled into the television, and there is a spot of (actual size, perfectly outlined) bug-shaped-darkness in the middle of my screen. I think I'd need to disassemble the TV to get to it.

2. There is a streak across the top of the screen that does not wash off. I don't know how it got there, and I can't get rid of it. It annoys me out of all proportion to its size.

Both of these, obviously, have nothing to do with the working of the television itself. One just needs someone to take it apart and grab the bug. The other, at worst, requires a new screen. At best some kind of cleaning I don't know about.

Who do I call for this? It seems like bug and screen washing is not generally what a television repair man does, but it doesn't seem like something anyone else deals with either. If I do need a television repair man, does anyone know someone good in Los Angeles?

Info about how holographic projection works?

stefnet — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:36:12 -0800

This is a bit of a lazyweb question, but I'm looking for information about holographic projection for some research I'm doing. I just need to figure out the levels of feasibility for some ideas that I am putting together and my Google searches / limited starting knowledge about the subject aren't giving me the quick answers I need. Without going too in-depth, I'm wondering if any technology exists that could run off solar power to create what would essentially be "light sculptures".

- Is "holographic projection" really what I'm talking about? I'm thinking about the ability to project a 3-d looking form into a space (i.e. without needing to reflect on a screen or some such thing).

- What is the equipment required to accomplish such a thing? Ideally, what is the MINIMUM amount of equipment required?

- What are the effects of sunlight on such a thing? Does it look different from day to night?

I'm wondering if lasers aren't also something to look at, although I'm hoping to minimize the amount of infrastructure involved. In my perfect world, the contraption would, powered by solar energy, project a 3D-looking image in the air.

This is all purely theoretical at the moment, so any ideas about how this would be best accomplished are welcome, regardless of costs.

PsychologyFilter: Is this called projection?

teg4rvn — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:34:49 -0800

What's the correct term for this psychological trait...projection? I always thought projection was when someone, unconsciously, ascribed one of their own undesirable traits unto someone else who doesn't possess that trait. But what is it called when that other person actually has that undesirable trait, too?

For example:

The person who's always late who gets pissed off when others are late.

The person who is messy/sloppy/a slob who does not tolerate messiness from others.

The person who is a poor listener who complains that no one listens to them.

Is this projection, too, or does it represent a personality disorder and not a defense mechanism?

How to select appropriate technology for HEalth education

dougiedd — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:03:33 -0800

Advice on projection technology as we are building a new Health Education room with seating for up to 75 people... Many of the health educators typically like to use PPT and Video presentations... IN terms of presentation technology, what options should we consider and how to better educate ourselves on these ranging from type of projector to smartboard type technology... budget not unlimited by a package coming in under $7500 no problem

Looking for investment calculator with real historical data

tomwheeler — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:27:57 -0800

I'm seeking an online tool that will project the present value of a monthly investment in a given stock, mutual fund or market index. I'm comparing some investments and want to be able to compare their performance over arbitrary date ranges. The closest thing I've found so far are some calculators that calculate compound interest based on periodic investments, but I am looking for something which uses actual historic market data.

The question I want to answer is "if I invested X dollars each month in security Y starting in August 2003, how much money would I have in February 2009?" Of course, I'd like to be able to change those date ranges so that I can see performance through good times and bad.

It would be ideal if this calculator would work for any stock or mutual fund, but even the ability to do it only for a market index (like the S&P 500 or Wilshire 5000) would still be better than nothing.

U.S. DVDs in London

quintno — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:24:31 -0800

I'll be teaching a film class in London this summer and I'm wondering--will I be able to play my American DVDs on English DVD players? Since I suspect the answer is no, will it work if I play them through my IBM laptop and plug this into an English computer projector? Or will I simply have to buy all new DVDs in the English standard?

Choosing an affordable projection screen for my living room?

cortex — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:08:32 -0800

What do I need to know when choosing a wall-mounted projection screen for my living room? We're looking at upgrading our ad hoc living room theater setup from our current White Sheet Clothespinned To Drapes to something in the way of an actual screen. Looking at 84"x84" as the best fit for our setup, doing a mix of movies and console gaming.

As far as I can tell, we'd probably be fine with something as simple as a Luma or Luma 2 or Silhouette—and in fact I'm not clear what the significant difference between those is other than the styling of the hardware. The Luma at under $200 bucks is attractive as the budget choice, but is there anything I should know? Any surprises here?

The other question: surface treatment. I know ambient light might be an issue for daytime use—setting aside the use of drapes and such on our windows to minimize that, is there a good reason to drop the extra cash on a high contrast grey type surface instead of simple matte white? Or is the distinction fairly minimal in practice?

I need 1KWh

felix — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:51:54 -0800

I need just one portable, reusable, near-silent, non-dangerous kilowatthour. I am planning on doing some mobile outdoor projection using a laptop and a standard video projector. In total, I expect to need about 500 safe, non-spiky, non-saggy watts for two hours.

I haven't been able to find, despite extensive research, any solutions that don't involve loud, super heavy gasoline generators, or inverters hooked up to the batteries of a running car. Those solutions involve slightly too-large amounts of danger/heavy loads/noise/complexity.

Ideally I'd end up with something that could work on a (heavily loaded) bike, or even man-portable/man-draggable.

People seem to think that car batteries won't work, because they will die from too-rapid discharge and be unusable after a few cycles.

Arrays of supercaps seem like an accident waiting to happen.

Surely some burner has found the local maximum on this question?

How can I control THE VOLUME OF MY VOICE?

Bardolph — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:25:47 -0800

Soft talker here. Any methods/courses/books/exercises that might help me develop better voice projection? I naturally have a sedate, low-pitched speaking voice-- think "NPR announcer"-- that sounds nice over a mic, but carries poorly face-to-face. Hearing-impaired people have an especially hard time with me, for instance, and often in group conversations I get talked over because nobody notices I've started speaking. I'm a girl, if that makes a difference.

I'm quite fond of the existing sound of my voice (aren't we all?), but would like to make it more audible-- especially since I do some speaking in front of groups, and it would be nice not to need a microphone to be heard. My questions are:

(1) is it even possible to make behavioral changes that substantially alter the audibility of one's normal speaking voice, or is that mostly determined by internal anatomy? Some people seem to be naturally loud, so I wasn't sure whether this is just a function of the chest cavity/throat I was born with.

and (2) if voice projection can be improved, what methods are out there to improve it?

Caveat: I've fielded all the obvious suggestions from friends and family-- "Breathe from the diaphragm!" "Aim for the back of the room!" "Have confidence!" "Just speak as loudly as you do when you're [screaming/arguing/being tickled]!", etc. Also, I've tried a few singing lessons, but they didn't really help. Any ideas?

How to convert lat/long to x/y on Lambert Conformal Conic.

RobotHero — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:23:42 -0800

Math/mapping question: I'm trying to use a formula to convert latitude/longitude into x and y values on a map. What are the reference longitude, reference latitude, and the standard parallels? I'm trying to convert latitude and longitude into x and y values for use in a map application. I know that the map I'm using is a Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, and I found this formula for conversion:
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LambertConformalConicProjection.html

But it uses four variables that I don't know about.
The reference longitude, the reference latitude, and two standard parallels.

What are these things, and is there any way to determine their values for this map?

Want small digital camcorder, under $1000, that allows editing on Mac and will be used for filming around London.

pollystark — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 06:07:28 -0800

I want to buy a small, Mac-compatible digital camcorder. My budget is under $1000. I will be using the camera to shoot videos that I will project when I play gigs with my band. I will probably also use it to film other people's gigs. Requirements:
* I have a Macbook Pro that I want to use to edit the footage I shoot. (I presume that I need a Firewire-enabled camera for this.)
* I want to be able to put the camera in my rucksack so I can wander around London videoing stuff.
* From reading around, it seems that MiniDV media is the way to go.
* I want the ability to shoot in low light.
* Port (XLR?) for connecting an external microphone.

Questions:
* How good can I expect image quality to be?
* Do I want/need a HD-enabled camera?
* Do I want/need manual white balance, focus and exposure?

I've read through a lot of related threads and these two were particularly helpful.

How best to move a Projection HDTV without harming it?

sav2880 — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:23:27 -0800

What do I need to know when moving a rear-projection HDTV? I am getting a fairly new projection widescreen HDTV (Toshiba brand, not DLP, but not old technology ... rear projection) from my dad as a first-house present, it's his old one. But, I have to find the best way to move it 100 miles up to the new house to get it!

The TV is a 46-inch model and is slightly too tall to fit into a large SUV (Expedition), so I think I'm going to need to move it in a U-Haul of some sort with a couple of other things. BUT, I'm worried sick that the bumps in the road are going to wreck the projection of the TV.

What do I need to know about moving this, how can I best project it in the moving process, and does anyone have any experience moving this kind of equipment on their own?

Hurricane tracking reliability.

The Straightener — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:14:21 -0800

Has anyone tracked the historical accuracy of different types of hurricane trajectory prediction models? Each hurricane season I'm fascinated by storm plots like this. I understand that the different colors and their corresponding stock-tickerish names stand for the different sources of hurrican path predictions, but does anyone track the outcomes of hurricane paths to see if any one of these models is more often right than others?

What Professional 3D Projection Systems Are Being Considered For Movie Theaters?

DudeAsInCool — Tue, 15 May 2007 22:27:33 -0800

What 3D Projection Systems Are Movie Theaters Likely to Install? I am doing some preliminary research on 3D Projection Systems. As you may be aware, Jim Cameron and other filmmakers and production companies are moving to the 3D format in a big way. The question is, what companies are developing the projection systems, and which format is likely to win out with theater owners? If anyone has any knowledge or links to information about this arena, I would be most appreciative.

Help me help someone else be the coolest guy at the meeting

killyb — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:18:11 -0800

I'm in the market for the host high tech PDA for showing power point presentations. I'm looking for a PDA or PDA/phone which has bluetooth and which can be used to cleanly display ppts. I've been looking at the Blackjack and the Dells, however I've very little experience with PDAs and have no where to try different models before I buy. I fairly certain I'd rather stick with Windows Mobile 5.0 as the OS, but will entertain other suggestions. Price is not an option and would like to hear the best of the best. I plan to pair the PDA with the iTech laser keyboard and iGo Pitch Duo for sending the display to a projector. Super bonus points if your recommendations mesh well with the above accessories. Thanks

Is there work in NYC for someone who is excellent at programming Dataton Watchout?

idledebonair — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:17:26 -0800

Is there work in NYC for someone who is excellent at programming Dataton Watchout? If so, where?

How to turn a map into a globe?

-harlequin- — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 10:15:23 -0800

Mapmaking: I want to make my own globe. Does anyone know of any software or method (for winXP, cheaper/free is better) that will take an image of the map (ie cylindrical projection), and turn it into a paper template ready to print, cut, and stick onto a sphere - BUT - preferably one that is centred on the poles, like commercially-made globes, rather than the (much less effective) strips centred on the equator. Failing that, anything that works :) I have access to photoshop 7 and Maya 7, if there are plugins or something for it.

Rear Projection TV & Convergence

sprocket87 — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:11:06 -0800

Is it difficult to manually adjust the convergence on a Zenith 50" rear-projection TV (without remote), and how would I go about this? Hello all,

Someone I know is selling a Zenith 50" rear projection TV, model PVY4665DT for just $50. He said it works fine but the convergence is off, and he doesn't have the remote control to adjust it. He said his friend gave the TV to him awhile back and set up the convergence manually by taking the back off the TV and manually adjusting the controls for it. It worked great, but recently this guy moved it to a different room and the convergence got off again (apparently the guns can get misaligned when moved?).

So he doesn't have the remote but $50 is a steal, assuming I could manually perform the convergence adjustment. Does anyone have any knowledge about this type of thing? I've been researching on the net and it seems like its a pretty standard thing to do, although repeated/permanent convergence issues can be caused by several things, most commonly some faulty resistors on the board. These are supposed to be a relatively easy replacement - just unsolder the bad ones and resolder the new ones.

Can anyone advise me about performing the convergence adjustment manually, or about other issues to be concerned with? Also, is it possible to get an OEM Zenith replacement remote for this? If not, can I get a generic programmable remote for general functionality (channels, volume, etc), even if it doesn't allow for convergence adjustment?

Thanks for the help all!

Jesse

Low-tech exhibit projection at a mock trial

Saucy Intruder — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:06:09 -0800

I need some low-tech advice on displaying exhibits at my upcoming mock trial. My current inventory:
- About twenty exhibits, each printed on 8.5x11 paper
- One overhead projector
- Access to a standard-size laser printer
- Law-student-size budget

We're using the courtroom on a Saturday, and don't have access to any court staff or personnel in order to track down various equipment. I am told that the rooms are wood-paneled and don't have a white surface for projection. Aside from this, I won't know what courtroom I'll be in until I show up. They are all different sizes, some cavernous, some tiny.

Given this, what is a low-cost, but professional-looking solution for displaying exhibits? A projector screen + tripod will run me at least $100; the tripod alone runs $40. Transparencies are 75c each at Staples and blow-ups of the paper exhibits run a couple of bucks apiece. I really can't afford to buy a bunch of expensive crap that I'll never use again. So I'm looking for creative solutions that utilize existing space in a room of unknown dimensions with optimal cost.

If you figure this out, I will not only mark yours best answer, I will give you a big hug and tell you that you have saved my day.

Children, Innocence, & Sexuality

ibeji — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:30:28 -0800

[book/other media recommendations]: I'm researching the sexualization of children, found in abusive situations as well as in less obvious contexts like child beauty pageants. Has there been a particular book/movie/situation that most eloquently laid out this topic for you? There is one book in particular I'm looking for, a title I think I saw in another AskMetafilter question actually, but I haven't been able to find that original question or remember the title. The book's title may have had "innocence" in the title and possibly "sexualization", though sifting through Google, Amazon, Alibris and my university's catalog with these words is not ringing any bells.

Beyond this book, I welcome any other suggestions that strike you--documentaries, dramas, comic books, paintings, academic treatises (even your own!), Law & Order SVU episodes, whatever comes to you. This project is still very general in scope at this point, so there are no wrong answers (also, I apologize if this makes answering it more difficult :-/ ).

If it helps, I'm probably the least interested in JonBenet type stuff, and more interested in things like the ambivalence of Lewis Carroll photographs (but more current perhaps) and the varying ways we view them (accusatory or not). By the way, I am not a conservative with an agenda, dowsing for pornography where there is none; rather, I'm investigating what lies behind conservative *or* liberal accusations, who's making the images/cultural practices etc. in question, and what the creator and society gets out of them, both positive and negative. So far, I've looked at things as wide-ranging as the Jack Ketchum novel The Girl Next Door (and the Sylvia Likens case that inspired it) to the film/book Mysterious Skin to the Tom Waits/Kathleen Brennan song Alice to various academic collections on child prostitution (international & domestic). Also some Andrew Vachss, Nabokov's Lolita, etc. If any of these have particularly illuminated the subject for you, I'd be interested in hearing why, though I'm looking more for new leads at this point.

Sorry for the length: it's a touchy subject with or without explanation, and I thought the background might be needed. Thanks so much, everyone, for your help :-)

Projecting big without distance

holloway — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 23:53:34 -0800

Lense-filter: I made a few DIY projectors out of overhead projectors and 14" LCD monitors. These works great, and now I want to make it project a large image onto a screen only 1 metre away. I've got a few questions and am looking for any advice [diagram inside] image here
Grey is the overhead projector, Black is the eyes, Yellow is the light, Green is the screen, and Blue is the LCD

As you can see the eyes are on the other side so it'll be projecting a reversed image onto a transparent sheet.

But with one metre I don't know how to expand the image. Can I put a larger lense infront like in the first diagram? Or should I just scrap the OHP's arm and project straight out like in the right diagram?

And continuing the DIY bent, are there any parts I might salvage to do this or do I have to go commercial?

Thanks!

Rear Projection

Napierzaza — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 13:02:58 -0800

I am doing visuals for a concert. I want to project the visuals using rear-projection but I am not sure what material will work. Money is an issue, as I have not budget to speak of. Is there fabric that I could get for pennies anywhere? I've seen people use frosted plexiglass and really light lacy-type material. But I'm worried about the light being to harsh if it hits the audience. The visuals art abstract but they have to come-out clear.

Photorealistic Billboards

Robot Johnny — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 14:07:58 -0800

I often walk past artists painting/airbrushing photorealistic billboards on the sides of buildings. Talent aside, how do they do this? I would imagine that an original image would be projected onto the building, and then traced, but how do they avoid image distortion if the environment doesn't allow for a perfect straight-on projection? Do they project an already-distorted original onto the wall?

Red lines from a projector when the iBook gets closed

LimePi — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 00:04:57 -0800

One of my professors uses an iBook and an LCD projector for her lectures. When she closes the lid of her iBook, red lines of varying lengths flitter across the right side of the projector screen, against a black background. What's going on? Is this the digital equivalent of phosphenes?